Unexpectedly
by AReiss215
Summary: Snowbarry AU. A world with no super powers. Caitlin is a woman who has shut people out ever since she was young and when she found love she changed but when her fiance Ronnie died in a car crash 2 years ago she began shutting people put again. Will a certain man be able to change her ways and make her feel love again or will she remain as cold as ever? A/N I don't own the Flash
1. Chapter 1: Caitlin Snow: Late

Chapter 1: Caitlin Snow: Late

Caitlin Snow had always been a woman with a plan, ever since she was young she'd already planned her life for success.

Step 1: Finish high school as the Valedictorian.

Step 2: Get into a prestigious college.

Step 3: Graduate as the Suma Cum Laude.

Step 4: Get a PhD.

Step 5: Get a job at the best facility of science and work among the best of the best.

She never wasted her time with anything she believed was unnecessary, often seeing them as distractions. That included having a boyfriend or anything to do with loving someone who wasn't family. Completing all of her steps to success, graduated high school at the top of the class, attended The Mellon College of Science at Carnegie Mellon University in her hometown of Pittsburgh; a high ranking college , graduating as the Suma Cum Laude of her class and then later proceeded to get her PhD in genetics and bio-engineering. Following her receiving her PhD she was then offered a job as a bio-engineer at Star Labs known as the best scientific facility in the world located in Central City, one of the most peaceful places in the country and owned by the most renowned scientist of the 21st century and a personal idol of hers, Harrison Wells. She still planned her every day life even after completing her steps to success. It would always be wake up at such time, morning routine to be done by designated time, eat breakfast, leave at exactly this time etc. She would plan so much of her day to the point of which she would schedule when she would have a toilet break during work.

Being this organized had it's negatives, one of which is her lack of social skills and "having a life". Due to her being so focused in her studies back then, she never had the opportunity to socialize with other people and go out and have fun with friends especially in school where she was known as the "nerd, often picked on for her intelligence, causing her to shut people out. This anti-social nature of hers developed as she got older, to the point where her co-workers in Star Labs dubbed her as "Dr. Cold". There were only a few who could see through the frozen walls of Caitlin's heart, one of which was her best friend who she met at Star Labs, Cisco Ramon who worked as an structural engineer. Cisco made her feel as if she had a little brother sharing a lot of similar interest in technological advancements. Only he was able to see through the "Dr. Cold" side of her and see the true "Dr. Caitlin Snow" who was sweet, kind, caring and helpful.

Despite her "cold nature" she was a beautiful woman, brown eyes that would capture a person's heart, a charming smile that would make a person's heart skip a beat, gorgeous auburn hair and to top that she had an admirable physique. She also often dressed elegantly which gives her that "professional" look. These characteristics attracted many suitors whom which she all turned down, well all except one. This "one" was the only other person to see the true Caitlin Snow and his name was Ronnie Raymond.

Ronnie was also structural engineer at Star Labs a fellow co-worker and friend of Cisco, who would eventually become her first love. At the time she didn't know what it was like to love someone other than family or her best friend so this feeling was a mystery to her. It was something she didn't plan on exploring until later on in her life but Ronnie persevered until he got her to go on a date with him and he showed her a whole new side to life. It was almost like he was the opposite of her. Ronnie was fun, outgoing and very friendly with other people. He made her try different things; exotic foods, exciting and extreme activities things that she experienced before. Ronnie often joked that he was fire and Caitlin was ice, referencing how she was known as "Dr. Cold".

Dating then developed into being boyfriend and girlfriend and after three years she was engaged to him. In those three years there was a change in Caitlin. She became more open showing the true Caitlin Snow to other people. She felt what it was like to love someone other than family and what it was like to be loved. He made her so happy even though things like this were never part of the plan, everything seemed to be too perfect for her to miss out on. Caitlin and Ronnie had everything planned out for their wedding but then one night something unfortunate happened which turned Caitlin's whole world upside down.

Ronnie died in a car crash in due to a sudden engine failure causing his car to collide with other cars and flipping out of control, leaving it in pieces and with the destroyed vehicle was a lifeless Ronnie Raymond. This accident left Caitlin devastated, losing the love of her life so unexpectedly. This tragic event caused Caitlin to shut people out again and brought back her "cold nature", leaving only Cisco to see the true side of her again. "Dr. Cold" had returned and the Caitlin Snow who not so long ago finally openly showed her true personalty to people was gone for good...but was she really gone for good?

Present day:

Caitlin naturally woke up at 6:30am for work to the annoying beeping and vibrating of her phone which lay on her beside table on top of a book that she was reading last night. A beam of sunlight shone it her face passing through the curtain as she sat up stretching her arms and rubbing her eyes. She glances over to the shelf on her right where a picture of her and Ronnie stood. It had been two years since Ronnie's passing and life for her returned to its dull and ordinary state since he left this world. She missed his presence beside her greatly. Realizing the time she got out of bed and walked to her closet and proceeded to grab a new violet button down shirt and a dark grey pencil skirt laying them down on the bed. She continued her morning routine taking a shower, getting dressed, brushing her hair and putting on some make-up. She completed her routine at 7am, grabbing her black buttoned jacket and her bag, leaving her apartment to go to get some breakfast at Jitters. She got into her small blue car and drove to Jitters where she'd run into quite a problem. The line was atrocious! almost reaching the front door. "You've got to be kidding me" Caitlin says under her breath as she lets out sigh then checking her phone. It read "7:15am". "Calm down Cait, you won't be late, you're never late" she said to herself trying to calm herself down.

After minutes of waiting which to her felt like hours she finally reaches the barista. She wore an enthusiastic grin on her face. She have a pretty face with a complexion which was a light shade of brown with a dash of make up. She had dark brown eyes which seem to be smiling. It was as if you could see her joy through her eyes. On her head was straight black hair which fell down to her shoulders. With a sweet sounding voice the barista says "Welcome to Jitters!, I'm Iris, what would you like?" Caitlin could see the happiness of this girl and she was almost jealous of how cheerful this girl was. "Focus Caitlin!" her conscience spoke to her. "Hi Iris! Ummm I'd like a latte with cinnamon and a ham and cheese panini to-go please." Caitlin said in a friendly tone as she smiled back at Iris. "Sure I'll be right back with order!" Iris replied as she made her way towards the brewing stations to make Caitlin's coffee and then towards the small metal fridge taking out the ham and cheese sandwich and put into the panini toaster.

Within 3 minutes her order was ready as Iris wrapped the panini with tin foil before placing it into a small Jitters paper bag and poured her latte into a to-go coffee cup then placing a plastic cover over it. Iris hands the bag and coffee cup to Caitlin "There you go! That would be $6.35!" Caitlin hands her payment over with a smile saying "Thanks Iris!" "You're welcome" Iris replies with a smile of her own as Caitlin begins walk away. Taking a sip of her coffee "Ah as good as ever" she said to herself smiling. She then checks her phone and notices the time "7:30am". She was shocked as she realized she had get going. Swiftly putting her phone back into her bag. She starts to make her way to the exit when a tall man rushes through the doors and in the process knocks into her causing her to drop her coffee. The man runs over to the side of the barista counter and says "Hey Iris! do you my coffee ready?" he asks Iris the barista trying to catch his breath. "Hey B..., oh yeah here's your coffee, now get out of here before my dad goes into rage mode on you!" Iris replies. Caitlin didn't hear the man's name as her blood began to boil looking at her spilled coffee. "Thanks Iris, you're the best. I really owe you one" the man said to the kind barista as he began to make his way towards the exit.

The man turns around and realized what he had done to Caitlin's coffee. Caitlin angered by this man yells "Are you freaking kidding me!?" as she looks at the man's startled face. Everyone at cafe's attention was on them. The man looks down spotting the spilled coffee. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry." his eyes getting wide, fumbling to get his wallet from his back pocket, then pulling out $10. "Here" the man gives the $10 to Caitlin "I'm really sorry about that" the man says as he runs out of the cafe passing her. Iris walks over "So would you like another latte with cinnamon?" she asks the frustrated Caitlin. Caitlin sighs in attempt to calm herself down and replies in a more relaxed tone "I guess". Iris smiles and says "Sorry about that, don't worry it's on the house". Caitlin smiles in relief to know the coffee was free.

The two girls walk over to the counter once again as Iris begins to make her a new cup of coffee. Iris laughs to herself and says "That guy always such a goofball, always running" smiling at Caitlin as she hands the new coffee to Caitlin. "Thanks Iris" receiving the new coffee, smiling back. She walks out of the cafe and goes towards her car checking her phone for the time once again. It read "7:38am". "Shoot! Gotta go!", getting inside, putting the Jitter's paper bag on the seat beside her and placing the coffee cup into the cup holder. She closes the door, puts on her seat belt and takes out the keys from her jacket pocket as she starts the car. She rushes to get to work on time driving as fast yet as safely as she could. "Oh my god, I'm gonna be late for the first time in my life!" she kept repeating in her mind. She grunts "If that guy didn't run into me maybe I wouldn't be! I swear if I see that guy again I'm gonna hurt him!" she yells annoyed inside her car, forgetting about her grumbling stomach yearning for food.

End of Chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2: Barry Allen: Late

A/N: What's up snowbarry squad!? Chapter 2 came quick didn't it? I had a lot of free time on my hands today so I decided to write. Chapter 3 will be in the works today aswell! Well without further ado I present Chapter 2! :D

Chapter 2: Barry: Late

Barry Allen had always been a guy who never planned for anything. Ever since he was young he'd been running to catch up for he was just always late. From the day he was born he was late. His mother Nora Allen gave birth to him a week after her due date. His parents often told him the story of how he didn't begin to walk at the same time the other babies did, but when Barry did begin to move his feet he didn't just walk. He ran. And ever since that moment he was always running whether it be from bullies from school or simply being late for something. During his teenager years he was quite the "late bloomer" so to say. It was only after he turned 15 that his most of his growth spurts kicked in which transformed a 5'5" boy into a 6'2" man. On the day he graduated from high school he was almost late for the graduation ceremony and the same thing happened when he was graduating from university. When it came to love he was as slow as a turtle. He was always so slow when it came to noticing that someone liked him or when he wanted to ask a girl out on a date. This resulted in losing the girl he liked to someone else which happened way too many times because he was always too late. Even losing his first love due to his tardiness. This "first love" was Iris West, who was his best friend and during the majority of his years in middle school and high school had a major crush on. On the night of their senior prom he told Iris how he felt about her but as usual it had been to late for him. Iris had been secretly dating Eddie Thawne, who was captain of the school's football team (now Iris' dad's partner in the force). This broke Barry's heart but he soon was able to let her go, which made his life so much better. At that moment he felt relieved that he was late because he realized him and Iris probably wouldn't have worked and that he didn't want to ruin this bond. If you don't get the point already Barry had always been late for many things, and it didn't matter whether it was happy moment in his life or a tragic one...

At the age of 10 his mom Nora was murdered in their house while he was asleep. He often blamed himself for his mother's death, always saying that what if he woke up a minute earlier then maybe he could've done something to save her. His dad Henry Allen always cheered him up whenever he did. He remembers the sound of her scream as she was stabbed in the chest, her life taken away from her, which was the last thing he heard from her that night before he found his beloved mother lifeless in the middle of their living room, surrounded by a pool of her own blood. She had been waiting for her husband to return from overtime work at the hospital while Barry had to go the sleep because he had to wake up early for school the next morning. The police reported that she was murdered possibly due to her retaliation against the infiltrator of their house who was trying to steal from them. The murderer was never found. That unfortunate event in Barry's life caused a great impact in his choices in life and inspired him to help put criminals in bars in the way he was capable of helping, through science.

Now ironically for being a man who was almost always late, he was quite fast. In high school, he was the fastest athlete in the track team but that didn't really make him too popular since they rarely won any competitions. He was also really intelligent and excelled at his academics especially at physics, chemistry, biology and math, finishing at the top of class in high school and Summa Cum Laude in college. Even though he was often late for exams and classes, he made up for it using his brainpower. You could say he although he was similar to Caitlin in terms of intelligence but the difference was Barry was very friendly with other people whereas Caitlin was the opposite. After graduating from Central City College of Science in Central City University he decided to apply for a job as a lab assistant in the CCPD's CSI division and with the help of his impressive résumé and a few words of recommendation from his Uncle Joe (Iris' dad) he was accepted very quickly. Despite all this time, to this day Barry has yet to fix his problem of being late. He may be late for almost everything but maybe he'll find something or someone he won't be late for...

Present Day:

Can't read my, can't read my! No you can't read my Poker Face!

Barry woke up to the sound of his phone ringing that sat right on the bedside table. Beams of light seeped through the closed blinds slightly illuminated the bedroom. One side of his face was planted into the soft pillow and his body lay relaxed on the bed that felt like a cloud, wrapped up in blankets as if he was a burrito. Resisting the comfort of everything that tempted him into going back to sleep, he threw the blankets off of him and sat up. He stretched his arms, letting out a loud yawn. He struggled to open his eyes, the tiredness taking over him after watching Netflix all night long. He reaches over to his phone which had recently stopped ringing, his eyes getting wide as he looked at the screen. The screen presented a text from Joe telling him to go to a new crime scene at Central City District Bank followed a multitude of "Where are you!?" texts from ten minutes ago and missed calls. "Oh crap!" Barry exclaimed inside his mind realizing he was late once again. He rapidly got out of bed and briskly took a shower, brushed his teeth and got dressed. Wearing his usual outfit of a button up shirt, skinny jeans, converse and a blazer, he grabbed his shoulder bag full of his CSI equipment as well as a protein bar to eat, and headed out of his door, locking it as quick as possible. He dashed down the stairs of his apartment complex and it didn't help that he lived in the third floor. His phone began to ring again. Pulling the phone out of his front pocket, he saw Joe was calling again. Answering the call, "Oh hey Joe, yeah I got your texts, I'm on the way to the scene!" slightly out of breath from running down flights of stairs eventually reaching the ground floor and exiting the complex. "Alright, Bar get here as quick as you can, Singh's looking for you and he's getting impatient" Joe replied. "I'll see you there!" Barry ending the call.

Looking through his contacts while keeping his attention in making sure he doesn't not to run into anyone, he finds and calls Iris "Hey Iris". "Hey Barry, look whatever you gotta say, can you make it quick? Things are really busy at Jitters and isn't my dad looking for you?" Iris answered the call. "Yeah, he called me like a million times! Hey can you do me a favor? Can you make me my usual coffee real quick!? I'll come pick it up" he spoke to her more out of breathe. "Uhhhh yeah sure, but you owe me one!" Iris said in a happy tone knowing that Barry had to treat her now. "Thanks! Don't worry I'll go shopping with you or something, alright I'll see ya!" Barry ending the call with Iris, as he saw Jitters in the distance. After a few more minutes of running he from block to block he finally reached Jitters feeling slightly relieved that he could get his morning coffee.

Rushing through the exit for it was closer to him than the front door. He felt a slight push as he ran towards the side of counter as if he ran into something but he was too focused on getting the coffee and getting out of there before Captain Singh murdered him. Iris with a smile was ready to hand him his coffee. "Hey Iris! Do you have my coffee ready!?" Barry said trying to catch his breathe. "Hey Barry, oh yeah here's your coffee, now get out of here before my dad goes into rage mode on you!" Iris replies slightly laughing. "Thanks Iris, you're the best. I really owe you one", Barry smiling at Iris as he turns around towards the exit only to see what he had done. Barry with wide eyes looks at the puddle of coffee on the floor and standing there a brunette woman who was clearly angered by his action. He didn't even notice her when he ran in, it was like he had tunnel vision. The agitated brunette yells "Are freaking kidding me!?" as she stares at a startled Barry Allen with piercing eyes. It was as if she was ready to pull out a dagger from her bag and start stabbing Barry to death. Barry began to choke on his words. He didn't know what to say and he was slightly embarrassed as the customers attention was on both of them. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry about that", as Barry awkwardly pulls his wallet from his back pocket and draws the only $10 bill that he had in his wallet, which he actually owed to one of his friends. "Here" handing the money to the enraged brunette hoping to calm her down and solve the problem quickly, "I'm really sorry about that" Barry apologized again as he ran past the brunette exiting the cafe as he began to sprint to the Central City District Bank.

Barry ran for about another 3 minutes before he reached the crime scene. There was yellow tape set up blocking the road that was in front of the bank. Joe with an unamused look met him as he approached the scene. "Where were you!?", Joe asked with a slightly angered tone. "Sorry Joe, I overslept a bit, coffee?", offering Joe his coffee which he took a few sips from with a smile trying to calm him down hoping for Joe to help him reason with Captain Singh. "Gimme that" Joe taking the coffee "You're lucky that you brought coffee, or else I'm not covering for ass again". "Thanks Joe, I really owe you & Iris one", Barry said a wide grin on his face as they approached Eddie who was Joe's partner and Iris' longtime boyfriend standing beside Captain Singh who seemed ready to just explode as soon as Barry crossed the yellow tape. "Mr. Allen, what is the excuse this time? I hope you don't say that you had car troubles again because that would just be idiotic of you and do you know the reason why?", Captain Singh asked Barry whose grin turned disappeared now looking more serious. Barry sighs, embarrassed by his stupid excuse from the last time he was late. "Because I don't have a car", Barry answered to the Captain as if he was a child being given out too. Barry began to apologize "Sorry Captain Singh I was...". "Running an errand for me" Joe had cut Barry off shaking the Jitters coffee cup to show the captain. "He called me earlier saying there was a really long line at the cafe so he couldn't get here in time", Joe explained further into more detail. Singh seemed skeptical at first looking at Barry with eyes that seemed to say "I'm watching you". "Alright Allen get to work", Singh commanded pointing towards the mysterious substance and tire marks on the road. Barry now relieved that Joe's excuse worked, begins to do his work examining the tire marks identifying the marks on the road telling Joe that it came from a Shelby Mustang GT500. Moving his attention to the substance, using a plastic rod from his equipment takes a sample of the smelly substance which he told Joe was probably animal excrement, placing the plastic rod into a ziplock bag. In a matter of minutes he had done his job. Joe smiled just impressed by the speed that Barry worked at yet being so efficient and precise.

He then he made his way back to the lab with Joe to analyze the evidence collected, finding out that it was cow manure containing oxytetracycline, an antibiotic found in feeds for cows. "So you should find these guys at one of these farms because they're only the only ones using that antibiotic in their feed, maybe you'll find a sweet Shelby in one of them", Barry says to Joe pointing at the computer screen with a smile. "Nice work Barry, I'll go tell Singh that we've got the possible locations", Joe replies smiling back as he began to walk towards the large sliding metal door leading to the hallway. "Wait Joe!... So I've got this appointment with a friend at Star Labs and I was wondering...you know since I've got all my stuff done today...maybe you could let me off early?". Joe turns around and thinks about it and then he opens his mouth "Sure, but tell your dad that the next time he comes over to drink he's buying the beer!". "Yes! Thanks Joe! Will do!", Barry said excitedly, a large grin on his face. Joe leaves Barry's lab and immediately Barry then pulls out his phone calling a certain friend, "Hey Cisco! Yeah I'm free to go now! No I don't have you're $10. Well it's a long story I'll tell you when I get there okay? I have to pay DOUBLE now!? Haha alright I'm on my way."

End of Chapter 2

A/N: Next chapter is going to continue Caitlin's part of the story. Maybe they'll have their second encounter? Possible a crossover character next chapter! Still finalizing the idea! I hope y'all are enjoyed! Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3: Small World

A/N: I know I'm updating pretty quick but lately I've had the time to write. I'll probably be able to update fast until next week so expect more chapters this week :D Now let's begin shall we!

After a 15 minute drive from Jitters Caitlin had finally reached her destination. The great Star Labs, she would often find her so amazed by the beauty of the building and usually she'd take a couple of minutes just to capture the beauty of its architecture every time she came to work. But these circumstances, she had no time for that. She made her way to the back of the building where the employee's parking space was located. Quickly finding her spot at the parking space, parks her car perfectly despite her rushing it; just right between the white lines. Grabbing her bag, the Jitters paper bag and her coffee cup, she rushed out of her car also closing the door, then swiftly clicking the button on the remote that automatically locked her car. She soon found herself running in the building entering through the back exit, phone & keycard in hand making sure she wasn't late. "7:57am" her phone read. She only had three more minute before she was officially late. She was praying to god that she wouldn't be late. She didn't want to tarnish her perfect work record with a stupid late because a foolish man who ran into her spilling her first cup of morning coffee. Thinking of that man infuriated her. "If it wasn't for him I wouldn't be in this situation! I hate him! I hate him! I hate him!", She cursed in her head. It didn't help that the back exit was so far from the front desk where she needed to check-in.

After running for who knows how long as fast as she could, she could finally see the bright sunlight coming the large windows of the front entrance at the end of the corridor. She was so close to the front desk. She could see the silhouette of a person there. The silhouette was Cisco looking at his phone grinning as he watched Caitlin run for the front desk. Closing her distance to the front desk she could hear him counting down "7..6...5...4...3...2..". She saw the excitement in his face but in heard mind she said smugly "Not today Cisco", smirking as she arrived at the front desk before Cisco could say "1". "God dammit!", Cisco cursed, as Caitlin handed her keycard to the receptionist, Mary. "That was quite the run you made Dr. Snow" Mary praising Caitlin. "Well I always make sure that I'm not late", she smiles at the receptionist before turning to Cisco, smirking "even down to the last second" she says slowly trying to rub it in that she was never late. Mary hands back the keycard and says "Have a great day Dr. Snow!". "You too", Caitlin replied now in a neutral tone as she began to walk to the elevator followed by Cisco.

"So when will I ever see the great and punctual Dr. Snow be late?", Cisco exclaims sarcastically. "The answer to that is never", Caitlin answers again putting on smug smile. "Well there goes my chance of getting $50 off of you. And to think I was about to get $60 in one day.", Cisco sounding a little bit down as the elevator doors open and they enter, Cisco pressing the button for the 5th floor. "$60? Your friend hasn't paid you back yet?", Caitlin asked curiously. She suddenly started to feel the hunger that she had ignored after being so worked up about being late. She pulls out the panini that she ordered from the paper bag, unwrapping the foil; the sandwich still surprisingly warm, and begin to take small bites listening as Cisco answered her question. "Yeah he hasn't told me the reason why yet. He says he'll tell me when he gets here". "Oh he's coming here?", Caitlin questions Cisco, surprised and her mouth partially full of the sandwich she was eating. Caitlin would rarely speak with her mouth full, she'd only do this around people who were very close to her. "Yeah, I owe him a tour of Star Labs after he bought me a sick Star Wars shirt at the convention we went to last month". The elevator stopped, the doors opening, "fifth floor: Cortex" the robotic voice notified them as they stepped out and walked towards the Cortex. "You mean one of your GEEK conventions", Caitlin teased Cisco as she finished the sandwich, scrunching the paper bag and dusted off the bread crumbs from her hands. "Hey! You have your hobbies, I have mine.", Cisco replied jokingly, the two friends laughing at each other.

They both approached the Cortex most of the employees busy researching on there mobile devices. There in the middle of the room stood Dr. Harrison Wells speaking to one of the other scientist present. He spots Caitlin and Cisco and walks up them. Cisco stiffened as Wells approached. Cisco had always been nervous around Dr. Wells ever since his first day at star labs. He didn't know why though, he speculated that it was a mixture of Wells being quite intimidating and that fact that he was a really big fan of him. "Good morning to you both, Dr. Snow, Mr. Ramon.". " Good morning to you too Dr. Wells.", the two friends replied at the same time. Caitlin then searches through her bag, pulling out a manila envelope labeled "Particle Accelerator Research" and handing it to Dr. Wells. "Ah just the documents I've been waiting for all morning! Thank you Dr. Snow." smiling at her "And Mr. Ramon, care to update me on your "Anti-Friction Suit Project"?" questioning Cisco. "Uh..*clears throat* yes, we're currently looking for a material to use, one of the suggestions I've made is utilizing a tri polymer material but we've still yet to order it". Cisco answers a slight nervousness in his voice. "I see, I shall wait for more updates in the future until then I must leave for a talk with the future scientists of Central City at the university, farewell." Dr. Wells leaving the cortex walking in the direction of the elevator.

With Wells now out of sight, Cisco then breathes heavily as if he held his breath the whole time he was talking to Dr. Wells. Caitlin giggles at her best friend's ridiculousness. "So when are you going stop being so nervous around our boss". "What do you mean!? Pffftt I wasn't nervous! I don't know what you're talking about?", Cisco in denial of how tensed he was while speaking to Wells. The both of them shared another laugh. To Caitlin there was nothing better than having these kind of moments with her best friend Cisco. It always picked her up when she was in a bad mood. Cisco's phone suddenly vibrated. It was a text from Barry saying he had arrived. "Hey Cait, my friend's here now so I'm gonna go meet him at the desk, show him around and then I'll bring him up here to meet you!". Smiling at Caitlin as he turned around leaving the cortex. "Alright, I look forward to meeting your Star Wars buddy!" Caitlin teasing as Cisco leaves rolling his eyes. With Cisco gone she puts on a more serious looking face and sits at her desk, switching the computer on, to start another day of work.

Meanwhile at the front desk...

"Sign here please", Mary pointing her finger at the "Star Labs Visitor Policy" sheet. Barry quickly skimming over the rules and regulations of being a visitor. "Don't take any pictures...Do not disturb the working staff...Do not release any information on current projects in progress shown to you...", then signing the paper. "Thank you and could you please tell me the authorized employee permitted you to come here", the receptionist questioned Barry. "Engineer Cis...", Barry was about to answer before getting interrupted by Cisco "It's okay Mary, he's with me" jogging towards them with a grin. "Alright Mr. Allen you are free to go! Enjoy you visit at Star Labs!". "Thank you", Barry giving a smile to the receptionist as he joins Cisco. Barry looks around astonished by the size of the building "Wow this place is so cool!". "Wait till you see the tech that we have! It's gonna blow your mind!", the two friends entering the elevator, Cisco pressing the "1st Floor" button. "So I've been wanting to know, where did my $10 go?", Cisco questioning Barry. "Well this morning I woke up and I got a bunch of calls from Joe because there was a robbery at the district bank, so I'm rushing just trying to get there in time but then I wanted some coffee so I decided to go to Jitters first..."

They reached the first floor, Barry continuing the his story as they walked off the elevator, "...I ran into Jitters and I grab my coffee right , turned around and saw this lady just staring at me as if she wanted to kill me. Looking down I realized that I knocked her coffee on the ground! I didn't what to say and I needed to get out of there quick, so I pulled out the $10 gave it to her, said sorry and ran! And that's why you don't have your $10 today" Barry finishes the story, Cisco laughing at him "Okay, I guess that's a valid reason. Anyway were here", Cisco leading the way to the blue print room. "This is place is pretty much self explanatory" pointing at the blue prints all over the walls. Barry just speechless watching at all the engineers working on their designated projects, tapping at there tablets and communicating with each other. "And here is the project that I'm actually working on with my team. We're trying to make this friction proof suit that could replace the normal outfits that firemen and women wear and possibly for sky diving. We're thinking about using a tri polymer material but we're not sure if it's fire proof, which reminds me...". Cisco glancing at his phone, checking the time. "You're actually right on time for the testing", an exited grin of Cisco's face looking over to the mesmerized Barry who still examining the blue prints of the friction proof suit. "C'mon man follow me!", Cisco slapping Barry's should snapping him out of his trance.

They run down some flights of stairs until they reached the testing facility which was a bunker-like room with multiple windows and metal doors, tables and lockers; presumably to keep all there testing gear. "Alright so here is where we do all the cool stuff". Looking around there wasn't a lot of things going on. It was only one of the windows that had a few people around it whom they approached. "Hey guys this is my friend Barry, I'm bringing him around on a tour. Barry this is Jack, Darren and Steph, they are my partners in this project". Cisco introducing Barry to his team. They all shake hands exchanging smiles. "So are we good to go?" Cisco asking Steph. "Yup" as she hands a pair of goggles to Cisco and to Barry. Putting the goggles over his eyes Barry watches through the window as the dummy dressed with a red jumpsuit covering from head to toe and a mask was engulfed in flames with a flamethrower that emerged from a wall with a tap from Jack's tablet. "Welp there goes that material, lets try the tri polymer next time". Cisco telling his team, a little disappointed by the result of the test. For minutes now the suit was still covered in flames and Barry watched as the material slowly began to burn away. "So are you guys just gonna let that burn or...". Barry curious if they were going to extinguish the raging fire. "Oh actually I've got a great idea. Barry stay here. I'll be back", Cisco sprinting down the corridor of the facility and coming back with a silver case. He opened the case revealing some kind of gun with writing on the side saying "absolute-zero". Barry arched his eye brow unsure of what it was. "This is the Cold-Gun. I made it myself when I first started working here." Cisco explained holding the gadget up with pride. "Stand back and watch the magic" as Cisco opens the metal door into the room where the suit was still burning and shot it with the Cold Gun. Barry eyes getting wide amazed by the beam of ice; almost like frozen flames, suddenly appearing from the end of the barrel of the gun, quickly freezing the suit and extinguishing the flames as the beam made contact. Once the flames were gone Cisco exited the room placing the Cold Gun back into the silver case. "Yo dude that was so sick!" Barry taking off the goggles, giving Cisco a high five, a large smile on his face. "I know right! Anyway let's continue with the tour shall we!? Can you guys clean up today? Cisco and Barry leaving the testing facility as Jack, Steph and Darren stayed.

About 2 hours had past since they went down to the testing facility. Cisco had shown Barry the next 3 floors and maybe spending a bit too much time in the 3rd floor playing table tennis and eating pizza. The 3rd floor was the cafeteria as well as the recreation area, usually where all the employees relax or have a bite during their breaks. At last they reached the last floor; the 5th floor or the Cortex as it is also known. "The Cortex is really more of the research slash meeting room. It's also right beside Dr. Wells office which unfortunately is off limits." Cisco describing the Cortex to Barry. "And this my best friend in the whole world..." Cisco approaching Caitlin who was already standing up, turning around to meet Cisco's friend. "Dr. Caitlin Snow" in her most professional sounding voice before Cisco could introduce her, Caitlin decided to introduce herself. She held hold out her hand for Cisco's friend to shake, not knowing that she'd be in for a surprise. The mans hand shook her hand as she looked up at him "Barry Allen, it's nice to meet yo...", the man's voice fading realizing that he'd seen her before. "Aren't you?...the lady at...I'm really sorry about the coffee, I was in quite a rush and I didn't see you we're there", Barry apologized awkwardly, feeling a bit embarrassed in front of Caitlin knowing what he had done to her this morning. "Oh it wasn't a bother really...", Caitlin giving him a fake smile, "...It's not like you almost got me late, almost tarnishing my perfect record" Caitlin replied sarcastically and in a slightly threatening manner, tightening her grip on Barry's hand in attempt to hurt him which seemed ineffective. Releasing Barry's hand "It's good to meet you too Mr. Allen. Now please excuse me while I go take my scheduled bathroom break." Caitlin leaving the Cortex. "What was that about? Wait Caitlin was the lady you ran into this morning? Wow small world huh!" Cisco identifying the tension between the two. Barry was left startled again watching the doctor leave. "Scheduled bathroom break?" Barry looking over at Cisco, smiling, thinking how silly "scheduled bathroom breaks" sounded. "Hey don't judge my best friend! You could just say she's quite the organized person okay" Cisco replied jokingly. "Fair enough" Barry shrugged his shoulders still smiling.

Caitlin walked briskly to the ladies' room once again angered at the sight of the man ho almost made her late and in slight disbelief. "That guy is Cisco's friend!? What are the odds! Ohhhhh he was lucky he was Cisco friend or else I would've hit him instead of squeezing his stupid hand! God, I hate that him!" Her inner voice ranted as she entered the rest room. Looking at herself in the mirror "Okay Caitlin calm down! Breathe! Breathe!" Caitlin exhaled finally relaxing and thinking rationally "How can I say I hate if I don't even know him. I mean if he's a friend of Cisco's then I guess he's probably a good guy? I mean most of Cisco's friends are cool guys? Maybe your just over reacting over a possible late and you weren't even late. Maybe you should apologize, yeah apologize that'll be good" Caitlin finally made up her mind.

"Hey, thanks for the tour man! But I gotta go, Joe just sent me a text looks like another crime scene. I'll pay you back that $10 I promise, catch ya later!" Barry was about to go "Wait Barry!" Barry stopped and listened to Cisco "So Caitlin and I are having this movie night thing at my place later at around 8, you wanna join us? Just mix things up a bit you know". "Yeah sure", Barry replied as he ran to the elevator. Caitlin arrives back at the Cortex. "Hey, where's your friend?" Caitlin asked her eyebrow arched looking around. "He had an emergency to go to". "Oh okay", Caitlin said a relieved tone, knowing that she didn't have to apologize now. "So are we still good for movie night?" Cisco asked as she sat back down on her chair. "Yeah of course, i'd never miss such a thing", smiling warmly at her best friend. "Okay see ya later, gotta go work on the suit" Cisco skips out of the Cortex as Caitlin resumed her work.

End of Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks guys for reading! Quite a long chapter (for me anyway lol) I hope you enjoyed. Setting up next chapter. I know there's no snowbarry yet but i promise soon ;)


	4. Chapter 4: Movie Night

_A/N: Thanks to the guest that has been reviewing my stuff! I really appreciate it 3 I really enjoyed writing this one! I hope you like it! Well here's Chapter 4!_

Cisco was getting prepped for movie night at his apartment, making sure there weren't any rubbish lying around everywhere. Cisco loved movie nights, being that he was a huge movie fan and he loved hanging out with his friends, so why not have it all in one night! Collecting all his dirty shirts that had been scattered all over the living room, the empty bags of potato chips and plastic cups that littered the floor, as well as his comic books that piled up on his coffee table he made sure his home seemed presentable. He opens his phone checking the time "7:40pm". Heading over to the kitchen, he began to make his grandmother Rosario's homemade guacamole, one of the few foods he knew to prepare, the others being a sandwich, mac n cheese, microwaveable dinners and snacks and making the classic egg, bacon, toast and sausage breakfast. Placing the bright green chunky mixture of avocado into a small bowl on a plate and surrounding it with tortilla chips, he took a moment to admire his creation, before checking the time again on his phone. "7:48". Sniffing himself he decided to take a quick shower before everyone arrived.

"7:58, Caitlin should be arriving in 3..2..1" *knock**knock* Cisco laughs to himself as he went to open his door "Oh that best friend of mine always on time". "Welcome to my humble abode! Cait...Barry?". Cisco lifted his right eyebrow a bit confused and at the same time surprised that Barry was on time. "Hey Cisco! What's with the face? You don't want me here!? Well I guess I better take this large pepperoni pizza with extra cheese and jalapeños, this case of beer and $10 somewhere else!" Barry standing at the front door pretending to leave. "No, no, no! You're not going anywhere with that pizza and my $10! Please come in and make yourself comfortable". Cisco showing Barry into his apartment doing his best impression of a posh person's voice, taking the pizza and beer case off Barry's hands. Barry took off his coat throwing it just on the couch, looking around examining Cisco's apartment. It looked a lot like his own apartment except maybe bigger and it had a large balcony. "This is quite a nice place you've got". "The rent isn't as nice though" Cisco cracking a joke placing the pizza on the coffee table and grabbing a beer from the case. "Oh yeah here is your long awaited $10" Barry finally paying what he owed. "Thanks! Oh and sorry about that face I made earlier, it's just you were unusually early, even earlier than Caitlin!" Cisco put the money into his pocket. "Hey! Just because I'm late for a lot of things doesn't mean I'm late for everything! Anyway I had a lot of free time and I got super bored just waiting until it was 8. Everyone was busy and I had no one to talk to". Barry explained as he flopped down on the couch. "Really even your g..?" *knock**knock* "And that must be Caitlin!", Cisco jogged over to the door. "Hey Cisco, where's the bathroom?", Barry asked Cisco who was about to removing to locks on his door. "It's the first door to the left". Barry gets up from the couch as Cisco answers the door.

"Hey Cait!". "What no "Welcome to my humble abode" this time? Oh I bear gifts!" Caitlin held up a plastic bag full of snacks and candy and a paper bag with fumes telling Cisco it was Thai food, one of their favourite cuisines. Caitlin entered the apartment oblivious to fact that Cisco had another guest. She removed her jacket hanging on the coat hanger behind the door which Cisco locked again. "So what movies do you have in mind to show me tonight!? Caitlin began to take the Thai food out from the bag, putting it on two plates; for her and Cisco. "Ooo looks like you made your special guac!" Caitlin grabs a chip, dipping it and eating it. "Still as great as the last time!" She complemented Cisco, a joyful smile on her face. It was at these times, Caitlin's happiness would show itself clearly and Cisco was delighted to see her so cheerful ever since Ronnie passed. "I was kinda thinking maybe a good classic to start off with "Back to the Future"?". "Sounds good to me!" Caitlin brought down the plates Thai food to the coffee table where she finally noticed the large pizza box, the beer case and the coat on the couch. "Cisco is anyone else heres?" Caitlin asked Cisco. "Oh I forgot to tell you earlier." *taking a sip of his beer* "I invited Barry!". The sound of the door of the bathroom suddenly opens followed by Barry, "So Cisco, what are we watching...tonight" Barry spots Caitlin by the couch. Barry clears his throat "Umm hi Doctor Snow, it nice to see you again." "Like wise Mr. Allen. Umm Cisco can I talk you outside?". Caitlin and Cisco excuse themselves to balcony, leaving Barry inside who sat down on the couch and checked his phone. "So not to be rude but why is he here? I thought movie night was just between you and me? Like it always was!?". Caitlin asked Cisco, feeling slightly hurt and betrayed that her best friend had invited someone else for their movie night.

"Look I know you may be a little pissed off at me right now, but I did this so maybe we could diversify! You know! It's great that it's usually just the two of us but now that there's three of us, it'll be even better!"

"But this is OUR thing! Me and you! Best Friends Movie Night! Not best friends plus one!"

"C'mon Caitlin, I know he's the guy that almost got you late but you don't even know him! Barry's a cool guy! Plus I think you need more friends!"

"What do you mean by "I need more friends!? I have plenty of friends!"

"Yeah really? Name five" Cisco now smirking.

"I have you, Mary the receptionist, my neighbour Elise..." Caitlin struggled trying to think of people she could consider "friends".

"Wow that was pretty sad. You really don't have a life do you!?" Cisco now laughing at his best friend. Caitlin slaps him the shoulder "Yes, I do!". "Whatever you say! But still I think you do need more friends and Barry's a good start. Now let's go inside and enjoy movie night!". "Fine" Caitlin and Cisco finally finished their one-on-one conversation.

They went back inside the apartment now with more uplifted moods. Barry silently sat there tapping at his phone with one hand and on the other hand a chip dipped in guacamole. "Oh I hope you don't mind, I brought the plate down from the kitchen. This is really good guac". "Oh no bother, that's for us anyway and thanks it's a family recipe" Cisco prideful as he's once again complemented for his food. "I'll go get my laptop and let's get this movie night started shall we!". Cisco skips to his room as Caitlin sits down on the one seat couch adjacent to where Barry was sitting which was the three seat couch where usually she and Cisco would relax during movie night. "So Barry, what do you do for a living?" Caitlin initiated what she felt was an awkward conversation. She felt quite nervous especially around new people. Barry taking his attention off his phone and makes eye contact with Caitlin. "Oh I work in the CCPD, CSI department"

"So you work in the crime lab?"

"Yup, as a lab assistant but I also do field work like, going to crime scenes to check for evidence. Stuff like that."

"Thats pretty cool and involves a lot of science. Do you like science?" Caitlin who was curious about Barry's fondness for science, lifting her left eyebrow as she reached over to grab a tortilla chip.

"Oh I don't just like science, I LOVE SCIENCE. Always have and always will." Barry answered the question with confidence, smiling at Caitlin. "Really? Since when did you have this passion for science?" Caitlin was now quite interested that maybe Barry could be a friend of hers after her recent discovery for his love of science.

"Ever since I was a old enough to understand what science was I've always been so fond of it. Physics, Chemistry and Biology were my favourite subjects in school and went on to study them at uni".

"Wow then how come you didn't become a scientist!? With all this interest it would've been a good choice for you to be one."

"Well, certain events can change a person's goal in life. Barry sighed. "I once aspired to become a scientist.." Barry clears his throat, he had always felt slightly uncomfortable talking about his mother's murder, his smile disappearing the atmosphere became more serious. "..but when I was 10 my mom was murdered and they never found the guy who did it...After that I just wanted to help put criminals behind metal bars but in a way that I knew I would love. Through science." Caitlin felt embarrassed. She didn't want to get too personal with this conversation. "Oh my, I am so sorry for asking. I shouldn't have made you go into so much detail." "It's okay, it's the story that keeps me going." Barry's smile reappeared.

"Alright so who's ready for movie night!?", Cisco yelled as he made his way back to the living room, laptop in hand and a HDMI cable in the other.

Barry's and Caitlin's eye now on Cisco who was now setting up his laptop, connecting it with the HDMI to the 50 inch flat screen TV that was stuck on the wall. "So what movie are we watching again?" Barry repeated his question from before. "Back to the Future" Caitlin answered excitedly.

"Oh cool! Classics are always a great choice" Barry not showing as much excitement as Caitlin.

"And Caitlin right there has never seen it before." Cisco smirking at Caitlin whose cheeks began to turn red with embarrassment. "How have you not seen Back to the Future!?" Barry sniggered as he turned to Caitlin. "I had no time for such leisure with all my studies" Caitlin crossed her arms, her chin up. "Okay, whatever you say Dr. Snow" Barry cast a friendly smile at her. She didn't know what it was but it was like Barry's smile was infectious, for the first time she actually smiled back at him.

"Alright! Everything's all set up LET'S GET THIS MOVIE NIGHT STARTED!" Cisco exclaimed full of enthusiasm as he sat beside Barry on the three seat couch. "Hey Cait what are you doing there alone!? Come over here join us!" Cisco patted the seat next to him. Moving over to the one couch, at first it felt unusual for Caitlin but once the movie started and they all got invested into it, it was as if she had known Barry as long as she had known Cisco. She couldn't explain it but for some reason, the atmosphere around them seemed much lighter, much warmer than before. Maybe Barry just had that effect on people. Maybe thats why he and Cisco were friends. These were the thoughts that went through Caitlin's head as she noticed how the two guys bonded with each other.

After "Back to the Future" they decided to watch another classic that Caitlin had never watched before, "Star Wars IV: A New Hope". "Wait so you're telling me you've never ever watched any Star Wars films !?" Barry shocked by this discovery. "What's wrong with that!? Just because I've never seen a Star Wars film does that make me a bad person!? "Nooooo, but it's really shows that what Cisco says about you is true." Barry smirked at Caitlin. "What did Cisco say about me!?" Caitlin taking a sip of her beer. "He said that you had no life whatsoever...and he's not wrong." Barry giggled as he took a sip of his own beer. "Hey!" She slaps Barry's shoulder. "So it seems that you two are getting along!" Cisco made his way back to the couch after using the bathroom. "Are we all set for the second movie!?". "Wait, I just need to get some water." Barry stood up walking to the kitchen, opening the fridge. "Hey Cisco, is cool if I take one of these bottled?". "Yeah go ahead!". "Oh Barry can you get me one too, please!?" Caitlin asked politely. Barry grabs two bottles and goes back to the couch, handing one of the bottles to Caitlin. "Okay are we all ready to experience one of the best sci-fi films of all time!?...again...for some us anyway" Cisco once again making fun of Caitlin. They all laugh as Cisco pressed the play button. The iconic Star Wars tune came on followed by its matching words "A long time ago, in a galaxy far far way..."

Movie night finally came to an end, after watching "Back to the Future" and two movies from the classic Star Wars trilogy; the fourth and fifth. The three began cleaning up the mess they made in Cisco's house. Cisco was practically drunk after drinking most of the beers that Barry brought, part of which why Caitlin told him to go to bed and leave her and Barry to clean up the remaining rubbish. Too drunk to argue with Caitlin, Cisco walked down to his room leaning against the wall the whole time to make sure he didn't fall. Barry and Caitlin just laughed as they watched their friend struggle to get to his bedroom. Putting all the trash into a black plastic bag and washing the dirty dishes used for the Thai food; they were done cleaning, Barry grabbed his jacket ready to leave.

"So I'm guessing you're staying here tonight?"

"Yeah, Cisco's gonna need a little help from his doctor when he wakes up with a hangover tomorrow". The two of them shared a laugh again as Caitlin escorted Barry to the door.

"Well I had a lot of fun with you guys tonight. Hopefully us three can hang out again someday?"

"Certainly it's actually really fun to have another person around!"

"I'm glad you think so Dr. Snow" A friendly smile appeared on Barry's face.

"You do know you don't have to keep calling me "Dr. Snow" right? You can just call me Caitlin or Cait whichever suits your fancy, since your a friend of mine now. Now that you're my friend, you also get this!" Caitlin hands a piece of paper to Barry with her number written on it.

"I don't really give anyone my number, unless they're someone I trust"

"Thanks. I appreciate that you've given me that trust." They looked into each other eyes, Caitlin suddenly stepped in closing the gap, before breaking away from the trance of staring into Barry's green orbs, stepping back. Barry clear his throat "Well, goodnight I guess!" concluding their conversation, "Yes. Goodnight!" Barry was about to turn around to walk to the elevator when Caitlin grabbed his arm remembering something she should've done earlier that night.

"Wait Barry...I just wanna apologize for acting the way I did back then at Star Labs. It was totally unprofessional of me to treat someone like that, especially to a friend of Cisco." Caitlin now felt more relieved that she got that out of her system.

"It's okay. I would've been pissed off too if I was in your shoes." He arching his lips slightly. "Goodnight Barry." "Goodnight Caitlin". She watched Barry stroll towards the elevator before closing the door. She bites her lower lip remembering how she stepped closer to Barry. "What was I going to do at that moment?...Nope don't think about that..he's a friend..a new friend..nothing more..nothing less." She shook her and locked the door.

Barry was now outside Cisco's apartment complex, which was conveniently beside a bus stop. Taking the bus back to his building, Barry suddenly received a call. Look at the name he smiled. Sliding the icon to answer the call.

"Hey babe..I'm good..How about you? Working as hard as ever huh...Don't stress yourself too much...Oh I was just at a movie night at my friend's place...Yeah it was fun, we had classic movies, pizza, chips, thai food and beer, I had a great time..You should really come over soon...I miss you..It's getting late I think you need to get some rest for work tomorrow..Okay, goodnight...I love you. The call ended as Barry got off the bus and made his way to his building, a warm smile on his face. "Today was a good day" He thought.

End of Chapter 4

 _A/N: I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter. I hope you also enjoyed all the snowbarry bonding moments and the friendship moments with Cisco. And surprise, surprise! Barry has a significant other! Who could it be? Make sure to guess if you write a review xD! Thanks for reading and expect Chapter 5 soon!_


	5. Chapter 5: Nice To Meet You

_A/N: Midnight update (for me) ! Thanks for all reviews guys, I appreciate that you're liking the story so far. I hope y'all enjoy this chapter and please don't kill me virtually after what I've done with Barry and ... in this chapter. I promise SnowBarry moments will return soon (probably in the next chapter lol) Without further adieu I present to you "Unexpectedly Chapter 5" :)_

Ever since that movie night, Barry, Caitlin and Cisco had all become great friends with each other. In the few weeks that they spent together as friends they had become so close to each other; especially Caitlin who found a new friend, a new person she could be herself to. Barry and Caitlin both felt the pain of losing someone important to them, they both were nerds back in their younger years and were bullied, they both graduated at the top of their class in high school and college and they both shared an endless love for science. Caitlin found someone who she could really relate to and she felt that she already knew Barry within those few weeks of meeting and getting to know him but she was missing one detail, one that would bring about something new about Barry and her...

 _Star Labs, 8:00 pm_

"Caitlin can we please go now!? I'm so hungry!" Cisco begged Caitlin who was still finishing her work. The Cortex was now empty with only Cisco and Caitlin present. Dr. Wells had gone to early for a dinner date with his wife Dr. Tess Morgan and the other employees had already finished their work half an hour ago.

"Give me a couple more minutes okay, I just have to finish this presentation so I can show it to Dr. Wells tomorrow." Caitlin told Cisco focused on her screen.

"Caitlin I think I'm going to die of hunger if we don't leave any time soon" Cisco in a more serious tone.

"You'll be fine. Here have this!" Caitlin searched through her bag, finding a granola bar that she forgot to eat that morning and gave it to Cisco. Like a child who was given candy Cisco quickly unwrapped and devoured it. "Oh mah gawd, I lobh food!" He exclaimed, with his mouth full. After a few more minutes Caitlin had finished her presentation.

"Annnnnnd done!" She clicked "Save document" on her computer immediately before she switched it off. "Come on let's go!" taking her jacket from behind her chair, putting it on and grabbing her bag.

"YESS! Finally!" Cisco cheered both of his arms in the air. "I'm so ready for some Korean barbecue!" grabbing Caitlin's arm and drags her to the elevator. Caitlin just laughed it off as they reached the ground floor and walked to the back exit. She swipes her keycard unlocking the back door and exits the building. Getting into her car Cisco couldn't stop shaking with excitement. A large grin had been on his face ever since they got off the elevator.

"Cisco I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but you're gonna have to wait a little longer." A smirk on her face appeared. "Wait!? What do you mean wait!?" He scowled at her as if some one took a toy away from child, putting on his seatbelt. "We have to pick up Barry remember?" She giggled at her friend's face as she secured her own seatbelt, putting the key into the ignition and twisting it, starting the car.

"Uggggh do we really have to?" Cisco complained. "Yes! It was your idea remember!?" Caitlin backed up from her parking spot and turned the car towards the exit. She waved to the overnight guard Charles signaling him to lift the barrier. "Oh yeah, well it's fun having him around anyway." Cisco turned on the radio as they left the facility and went on their way to pick Barry up for dinner.

 _Meanwhile at Barry's apartment, 8:00 pm..._

There was a knock on Barry's door. Barry wasn't expecting anyone at that time, especially after Caitlin texted him earlier that they would come to pick him up at 8:35 pm. He opened the door with caution but was met with a very pleasant surprise. "Surprise!" Felicity ran into his into hugging him tightly. Barry couldn't do anything but smile and wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her away and kissed her lightly, looking into her beautiful blue eyes through her glasses "I've missed you so much". "I've missed you too" she bites her bottom lip pulling him close and kissing him deeply. "Wait" Barry pulls away and closes the door and locks it "Safety first" they laugh before He took her hand leading her to his bedroom. They entered the room Barry quickly pushing the door to a close as they continued their halted kiss now even more deep. Felicity's hands on his chest and Barry his hands on her waist, pulling her closer. She releases herself from Barry's lips, taking off her her shoulder bag and unbuttoning her bright red coat, both items dropping to the floor. Barry just speechless and astonished by the beauty of the woman standing in front of him. He closes the gap placing his lips on hers and kissing her neck "You are so beautiful" told her, their eyes meeting each other again before continuing their moment of intimacy. His lips on hers, he assists Felicity removing her sweater as she unbuttoned his shirt exposing his lean yet muscular upper body. They fell onto his bed their bodies against each other, their tongues making contact as they kissed each other passionately. They soon found themselves tangled in sheets...

 _20 minutes later_

The two lovers lay in bed relaxed, Felicity got on top of Barry and kissed him "Ready for round 2?" she bites her lower lip lust in her eyes. Barry smiles "You don't need to ask" as he sits up, his hands on her waist again, kissing her lovingly. In the midst of their make out session, Barry's doorbell rings. He pulls away from Felicity and checks his phone for the time "8:35 pm". "Looks like round two will have to wait" Barry pecks at Felicity's lips, then smiling warmly at her as she gets off his lap.

"You're going out tonight?" She asked as she got off the bed and began putting her clothes back on.

"Yeah, going to dinner with some friends. Wanna come with?" Barry buttoning up his shirt. "I don't know, it might just be a friend's night out." She puts her sky blue sweater back on and slides skirt back around her waist. "Trust me they won't mind, they're like the nicest people I know! Plus it's a good time to introduce my girlfriend. My smart, gorgeous and irresistible...girlfriend" Barry now fully clothed walked up to her planting another kiss on her lips. "Hey round two is later. Now I'll go get the door while you put on your shoes on." Felicity pulling away her lips arched into a smile, exiting the bedroom as she walked merrily towards the door, ready to greet Barry's friends.

 _Caitlin and Cisco outside Barry's door, 8:35 pm..._

Caitlin rang the doorbell. "Uggh what's taking him so long!?" Cisco complaining to Caitlin who stood there patiently. "Will you stop being so grumpy!" Caitlin responded. "I can't I'm so hungry and you know I get grumpy when I'm hungry." Cisco who was pouting. They suddenly heard the sound of foot steps. Cisco's face now more relieved thinking Barry was finally going to answer the door. The door opened but it wasn't Barry standing there. It was a blonde woman wearing black rimmed glasses, a blue sweater that cut just at the upper part of her abdomen and a black skirt that cover most of her lower abdomen and reached down to just above her knees. She also wore black heels that put her at the same height of Caitlin. She had a very pretty face, with eyes as blue as the ocean, lovely cheek bones and plump red lips. Her blonde hair was tied to a pony tail. Not only did she have a pretty face but a nice and fit body. The two inches of space between her sweater and her skirt showed part of her defined abs and her legs were flawless. "Pretty..." Cisco said under his breath, blown away by the blonde woman's beauty. Caitlin was quite startled, she didn't know this woman nor did Barry mention anything about a girl in his life.

"Hi, you guys must be Barry's friends?" She asked kindly smiling at them revealing her perfect white teeth. "Yes, we are and you are?" Caitlin answered a bit confused by the current situation.

"Oh I forgot Barry hasn't introduced me to you guys yet! Silly me! I'm Felicity Smoak, Barry's girlfriend." Her hand coming forward to shake Caitlin's.

"Wait, you're Barry's girlfriend!? Wow! Ummm..I didn't mean that in a bad way...I meant that Barry chose really well...I mean you're really pretty..." Cisco explained awkwardly, his face blushing suddenly forgetting about his hunger. "Aw that's so sweet of you! Thanks for the complement!" Felicity said kindly.

"Anyway I'm Caitlin Snow and this Cisco Ramon" Caitlin shook Felicity's hand smiling back at her. For some reason Caitlin felt this weird feeling in her stomach as she shook Felicity's hand. It was a feeling she'd experienced before but she couldn't pin point when she did.

"Nice to meet you Caitlin!" Their hands let go of each other as Barry appeared at door behind Felicity. "Looks like you guys have met my girlfriend." Putting his arm around over her shoulder and her arm going over to Barry's waist. "Babe, your hair" Felicity reached up and fixed it to the style which Barry normally had. "There we go much better!" She looked up at Barry smiling. "Thanks babe, I'd be lost without you" as he leaned over for a quick kiss. At that moment Caitlin felt a mysterious pain in her chest, something else that she couldn't explain. She hides it with a less sincere smile. Barry's attention back to Caitlin and Cisco.

"So you guys don't mind if Felicity tags along right?". Barry asked them. "No, of course not! I think she'd make great company" Caitlin answered in a friendly manner. Usually she would mind because to her this was really a best friends only thing but it seems like Barry had influenced her to be more interactive and friendly around people; either way, she would let Felicity go with them because it would've been really embarrassing if she said Felicity wasn't allowed to join in front of Barry.

Cisco eventually reminded by his hunger pleads to go now. The whole group just laughs at Cisco's misery as Barry locks the door. They walk down the hallway towards the elevator Cisco leading the way his hand on his belly, Barry and Felicity followed him and Caitlin behind them. Caitlin didn't know what was going on with her head but she had an underlying feeling of wanting to push them apart as she watched them walking in unison, hands held together. Caitlin eyes got wide as she realized she was having these weird thoughts and decided to just go join Cisco in front of them.

Reaching the building's parking space just in front of it, they got in her car, Cisco in the front seat and Barry and Felicity in the back seat. They all put on their seat-belts as Caitlin started car and began to drive to the Korean barbecue restaurant. It was probably one of the weirdest drives that Caitlin ever had. She found herself constantly glancing at the rear-view mirror, which was set at the perfect angle to see what was behind the car, but it was also at the perfect angle to see what was going on in the back seat. She watched as the couple laughed telling jokes to each other, how they held hands and how they looked into each others eyes with love and compassion. Maybe this reminded her of Ronnie and her back then when they were dating, Caitlin thought to herself; or maybe it's some thing else, something deep inside her... "Nope Caitlin! Stop it! You're digging too deep into this. Just focus on the road and getting to the restaurant." Her eyes off of Barry and Felicity and on the road ahead. After a ten minute drive to the city, which was filled with giggles from Barry and Felicity, and Cisco annoyingly repeating "Are we there yet?", they finally arrived at the restaurant, situated in the middle of Central City.

End of Chapter 5

 _A/N: Thanks for reading, as usual if you want to, leave a review of what you think about it! Next chapter will probably arrive in the next couple of days. Schools about to get serious now so yeah. I hope y'all enjoyed! :)_


	6. Chapter 6: Jealous? That's ridiculous!

**_A/N: Sorry for the delay guys, I've been busy trying to settle back into school. Thanks for the reviews as always. Now to clarify this, Felicity will be the only Arrow character to appear in this story although there will be mentions of Oliver Queen. She might appear in later chapters as Caitlin's female friend I'm still finalizing that idea. Sorry if this chapter isn't as good as the last two. I hope you enjoy!_**

Caitlin parked the car in front of the restaurant, Cisco racing out of the vehicle as soon as the engine stopped. Getting out of the car . Caitlin watched as Barry and Felicity went together hand in hand, she felt uneasy about it but she still hadn't found a reason to all of this. Barry holding the door for everyone, the door for Caitlin and Felicity they all entered the restaurant immediately the appetizing scent of food being grilled drifted towards them. The establishment was quite large having a multitude of tables fitted with grills. The walls were painted orange with black accents and we're decorated white stencil art. The restaurant was packed for 9:00 pm. They found Cisco speaking with the waitress at the counter. The waitress seemed to be familiar with Barry and Cisco, then again they did eat here really often. "Hey Barry! So a table for four? She kindly asked Barry who lead the group, looking behind him spotting the two ladies at the back."Hey Linda, and yes a table for four. Linda began to tap on the screen in front of her, "Annnnd you guys are in luck, the last table available. Follow me!" She smiled, grabbing four menus, leading them through the twist and turns of going around other customer's table. "And here we are! I'll be back for orders in a bit okay?" Linda handed them the menus as she walked back to the counter. The table was neatly set up with four plates, spoons and forks as well as chopsticks, the grill situated in the centre of the round table.

"There's so much stuff to choose from! I can't decide honestly." Felicity scanned through the menu.

"Yeah, me neither. What do you guys usually get? I mean you guys said you came here on the regular." Caitlin's looking up at Barry & Cisco. "Well we usually get one of these and add in some bowls of rice and fried noodles." Barry turned his menu around pointing to at the item "Set A" which had Spicy pork, Bulgogi Beef, Spicy Beef, Chicken, & fresh vegetables.

"Then we'll get one of those I guess." Caitlin suggested. "Are you sure because this guy looks like he could two right now" Barry pointing his thumb at Cisco jokingly who was sitting there staring at the image of the food on the menu "What! I'm hungry okay!" Cisco broke out of his trance and noticed the three watching him. Linda came back to take their order, "We'll have two of our "regulars", 4 rices and noodles and 4 sodas and 4 waters" Barry told her their order. "So 2 Set As, 4 rices, 4 noodles and 4 sodas and 4 waters. That's all of it? Linda listed the order on her notepad.

"Yup!" Barry confirmed. "Alright I'll be right back!" Within 5 minutes she arrived at their table with plates of raw meat and vegetables, the bowls of rice and noodles as well as their drinks. She then switch the grill on, "Enjoy guys!" Linda left the group, walking back to the counter. "Thanks Linda we will!" Barry and Cisco told her as she left. Barry and Cisco began placing the food on the hot grill using the chopsticks provided on the table. They then waited for it to be cooked.

At that moment no one was talking, Barry and Felicity were focused on playing a game on her tablet, Cisco watched as the meat and vegetables cooked on the grill and Caitlin examining the interior of the restaurant. All you could hear was the chatter of the other customers that surrounded them and the sizzle of the meat on the grill. Caitlin decided to break the ice.

"So Barry, how come you never told me you had a girlfriend?" Caitlin took a sip of her soda. Barry and Felicity's eyes now on brunette. "Well, I guess like too keep the stuff about my love life private." Barry softly smiling at her.

"Then how come Cisco knew?" Caitlin raised her eyebrow inquisitively. "Cisco to be honest wasn't supposed to find out, but..." Barry eyes drifting over to Cisco "..he decided to have a look at someone's phone without permission from the owner."

"Hey don't look at me like that, I was just being the good friend that I am, bringing your phone to you when you got a text and my eyes happened to be attracted to the glowing light on the screen." He smirked at Barry. "It was pretty much inevitable though, I would've had to tell you guys someday. And the food is actually done!" As Barry started to remove the meat and vegetables from the grill placing them on a large empty plate, before loading more food onto the grill.

"Eat up guys! There's A LOT to go around!" Barry handing them the plate with a mountain of meat and vegetables piled on top of it.

"Don't mind if I do!" Cisco rapidly taking a large portion and rapidly devouring it. "Oh mah gawd, I lobh fooood!" Cisco exclaimed mouth partially full. The three just laughed at their goofy friend before digging in themselves.

"Sorry for all the questions, but I'm just a bit curious, how did you guys meet each other?" Caitlin asked the couple another question. This time Felicity spoke up, wiping her mouth with a napkin and drinking some water. "Well, from what I can remember, Barry was told to go to Starling City Police Department for a case that needed his CSI expertise. This case was in association with Queen Consolidated, and being Oliver Queen's executive assistant of course I had to come to the crime scene with him - "Wait you know Oliver Queen? Cool!" Cisco briefly interrupted in amazement before returning his attention to his plate and the food on it. Felicity just nodded at him "Yes, very cool indeed" and continued the story "- I remember he arrived at the crime scene soaking wet, pulling out his tablet showing us all how he thought the thieves broke in, the funny confused faces on the police officers as Barry went into detail scientifically, that was priceless. That day I just saw something in him and we just connected. Long story short two weeks later he asked me out on a date and after two years here we are!" Felicity said cheerfully looking at Barry.

"2 years!? And both of you live in different cities, that's so sweet!" Caitlin shot a smile at them as the couple eyes met each other. "Well if you truly love someone it doesn't matter how far they are, you'll always feels connected to them." Barry said softly as he gave Felicity a quick kiss on the forehead. "Excuse me..I'm just going to go to the bathroom." Caitlin stood up from the table feeling uncomfortable watching the couple showing their affection. Reaching the bathroom, she entered a stall and sat down.

"Okay Caitlin, breathe, breathe. What's going on with you all of a sudden? Aren't you happy for them!? What are these feelings? They're familiar but I just can't remember. Jealousy? Is it jealousy? But why I would be jealous of Barry and Felicity!? That's just ridiculous! Is it really though? Maybe I just miss Ronnie...but this isn't envy of happiness, this is envy of love. Is it possible that I LIKE Barry Allen? Once again Caitlin that's just absurd! I mean, what's there to like about him!? Other than, those captivating green eyes, his soft scruffy brown hair, his friendly and fun personality, his intelligence and god that smile...wait what was that just now? Am I jealous of Felicity!? Do I like Barry!? You know what Caitlin, you are thinking too much, just sleep on it later" Caitlin finished debating with her conscience. Suddenly the bathroom door opened, "Caitlin, are you alright?" it was Felicity who sounded worried. Caitlin came out of the stall, "Yes, I'm fine, just felt a little bit nauseous."

"You were gone for quite a while, the guys and I just wanted to check on you." Felicity explained fixing her hair and then grinning at Caitlin. That moment she saw possibly why Barry was with Felicity, she was beautiful, intelligent and most of all caring. She had only met Caitlin an hour ago and she already treated her like a friend. "Sorry for making you guys worry." Caitlin replied feeling a tad guilty.

"It's okay, let's go? There's still a lot of food to be consumed tonight!" The two ladies laughed as they exited the bathroom, returning to the table. "Hey Cait, you okay?" Barry said in a concerned manner, her brown eyes meeting his green ones which made her heart beat faster. "Yeah, I'm okay" she sat down at her seat. "She said she felt a bit nauseous earlier." Felicity went further into detail. "Probably because you haven't eating enough" Cisco spoke up holding his belly, his plate was clear of food. "Here" Felicity handed the plate of meat and vegetables over. "Thanks" Caitlin took the plate putting some food onto her own before placing it back on the table. The three of them later on finished all of the food. Cisco that had eaten his fair share and was now full of energy as he continuously told jokes and stories throughout the rest of the dinner while Caitlin painfully watched the couple bond with each other, one part of her mind wishing she was Felicity in those moments, the other part denying that she had some feelings for Barry.

The dinner came to an end, "Bye Linda! Thanks for everything tonight!" Cisco paid the bill of $55. "No problem come back anytime guys!" She passed the receipt to Cisco as the group left the restaurant.

"Man that was a hefty dinner, even for me" Barry stretched his arms.

"Tell me about it, I'm pretty sure we should've just ordered one set" Caitlin felt bloated after eating so much.

"The food was super good totally one of my favourites here in Central City so far" Felicity always seemed so positive.

"Anyway so you guys want to ride along with me and Cait or do you guys want to go on your own way?" Cisco asked the couple who decided glanced at each other before looking back at Cisco. "I think we'll go our own way, thanks for the offer though and of course thanks for bringing me and Felicity out for dinner!" Barry and Felicity giving their goodbye hugs to Caitlin and Cisco. "No problem! We should go out all four of us again sometime" Cisco suggested "Sounds like a plan!" Felicity answered excitedly. The couple walked towards the opposite direction of Caitlin and Cisco, their fingers interlocking. Caitlin watched them as they disappeared in the distance, the pain in her chest reemerged as she did.

"Cait, Cait, Cait!" Cisco called Caitlin trying to get her attention. Caitlin finally hearing Cisco turns around facing him.

"Let's go, it's getting late." Cisco opened the car door getting inside. Caitlin got inside the car turning on the ignition. "Sorry I just got distracted."

 _On their way to Cisco's apartment complex.._

"Hey Cait, are you okay? I noticed you kinda acted "unusual" around Barry and Felicity."

"What do you mean by "unusual"?" Caitlin kept her focus on the road.

"I mean you kept glancing at them. Is there something you wanna tell me? You know I'm always here for you." Cisco smiled warmly at his best friend.

Caitlin sighed she couldn't tell him what she was really feeling so first the first time after many years of their friendship she lied to him. "I guess, I just missed Ronnie. We were like that before you know." Cisco put his hand on his friends shoulder comforting her. They soon arrived at Cisco's building, saying their goodbyes and goodnights before Caitlin made her own way home. Finally getting home, she immediately went upstair and changed into her pajamas. She goes to the bathroom to freshen up before going to bed. As she washed the make up off her face, looking in the mirror she realized that she couldn't get her head around what she discussed with her conscience earlier that night; whether she liked Barry Allen or not? She shook her head avoiding another debate with her mind as she dabbed her face with a towel to dry. Now in the comfort of her own bed, she quickly fell into a deep slumber...

 _Caitlin was in the Cortex doing her work as usual but for some reason it was empty, suddenly a voice called out from behind her._

 _"Hey Cait!" Barry strolled in a navy blue button-down shirt, black skinny jeans and converse, placing a cup of coffee on her desk._

 _"Hey Barry, what are you doing here, don't you have work right now?" She stood up from her seat facing the 6'2'' man._

 _"That doesn't really matter, I need to tell you something." He stepped in closer, lightly placing his hand on her face._

 _"Something, I should've told you a long time ago...I love Caitlin Snow, I always have since the day we met." Barry suddenly pulled her in for a deep and passionate kiss. Caitlin felt strange at first, thinking "Is this really happening?" but then forgetting the thought she reciprocated with the same amount of intensity. She briefly pulled away, to respond with "I love you too Barry" before continuing the intimate moment between them. Suddenly Barry lifted her up onto her desk as he began kissing her neck, his hand stripping off her lab coat and then proceeded to unbutton her shirt. Caitlin closed moaning softly and calling his name "Barry...Barry...Barry". Everything seemed perfect Barry had confessed his love for her and she was about to make love with him, but maybe it was a bit too perfect..._

Caitlin opened her eyes wide, sitting up from her bed, gasping as if she had a nightmare but it wasn't a nightmare. She grabbed her phone checking the time "5:37 am". She then realized that her upper body had felt a bit chilly. She looks down to find her pajama top on the other side of the bed leaving her with only her bra on "Oh my God, what have I been doing all night!?" She exclaimed, her mind in shock. Did she really just have a dream where she was about to have sex with Barry Allen. She was in disbelief, she's never experienced this kind of liking for a person before even with Ronnie. She glanced over to her and Ronnie's picture on her bedside table, feeling slightly ashamed; it was as if she cheated on him. The dream was a confirmation that she did have feelings for Barry, maybe even deeper than she thought. That night Caitlin couldn't sleep properly, her mind was fixated on one man and his name was Barry Allen, not only did she like him, she had fallen for him.

End of Chapter 6

 ** _A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this one! Make sure to review if you have some thoughts about it! Caitlin has finally come to realize her feelings for Barry! But since Barry is with Felicity she will have to hide them for now! Chapter 7 will be out in the weekend, I promise. Until then I'll see ya!_**


	7. Chapter 7: Impossible

**_A/N: Hey guys! Super fast update is here! I hope y'all enjoy this chapter because I had a great time writing it :) Now I present to you "Unexpectedly Chapter 7"_**

It had been many nights that Caitlin couldn't stop dreaming and thinking about Barry. Each night of dreaming seemed to get more and more vivid and she felt different every time Barry was around her. Back then she wouldn't feel anything, she saw him nothing but a friend of hers. But now whenever she looked into his eyes she'd have to snap herself out of it; whenever he spoke to her she felt her heart racing and whenever he looked at her she felt butterflies in her stomach. She wished she didn't feel these things for him but her heart wouldn't stop reminding her. Another thing was Barry had a girlfriend, Felicity and despite her feelings for Barry and her jealousy when she saw them together, she couldn't stay mad at Felicity. She was the sweetest human being Caitlin had ever met and the only female friend she really had, other than her mom. Over the past few days that Felicity stayed in Central City, Caitlin and her had become good friends. Caitlin never had a friend who'd happily go shopping with her and do other "girly stuff" with her; Barry and Cisco being her only friends, which when she thought about it was pretty sad. Felicity was someone else she could relate to, in terms of smarts as well as being another female. She was like the female version of Barry in terms of personality. "No wonder Barry and her get along so well..." Caitlin often thought to herself when she was talking to Felicity. Today was Felicity's final day at Central City before she went back to Starling City. She had stayed there for 5 days to visit Barry and time flew by really quick, after hanging out with Cisco and Caitlin so much. Caitlin and Felicity are at Jitters having some coffee as they wait for Barry who was going to meet them there after his work was done.

 _*Jitters, 2:30pm*_

The two ladies entered the cafe, which wasn't too packed full of workers having their lunch break. They approached the counter, Caitlin expecting Iris, the barista she had become familiar with to be behind it, but instead there was a young man with short black hair, and thick rimmed glasses, wearing a maroon t-shirt.

"Hi, I'm Aaron, can I help you guys with something?" The young man asked the blonde and brunette in front of him in a friendly tone.

"Yes, could I have a medium coffee with cinnamon for myself." Caitlin looked over to Felicity to get her order.

"And a medium white coffee for me please" Felicity told the young man behind the counter, who nodded confirming their order.

"Okay, I'll be right back with your drinks" He turned around to make the coffee.

"Excuse me? Aaron was it? Sorry not to be rude or anything but do you know where Iris West is?" Felicity asked the young man who was at the brewing station.

"Oh, Iris!? She took a day off today to spend a day with her boyfriend." Aaron replied, adding a small scoop of cinnamon into Caitlin's coffee and putting cream into Felicity's coffee before turning around to bring the drinks the ladies.

"There you go! That would be $6.00 please!" Aaron handed them the coffees as both paid their share of the price.

Now with their coffees they took a seat at a nearby table.

"Bummer I wanted to meet Iris personally for the first time." Felicity slightly disappointed.

"You haven't met Iris? That's actually pretty surprising." Caitlin sat down at on the stool on the other side of the table.

"It's weird, Barry and I have just been too busy to introduce people to each other. I've only really met his dad, his uncle Joe and of course you guys." Felicity answered Caitlin as she took a sip of her white coffee.

Caitlin noticed something about Felicity. She wasn't her usually "always positive" self.

"Hey, are you okay?" She took a sip of her coffee.

"Yeah, yeah...I'm fine. There's just a lot of things going on in my head right now." Felicity shot a smile at her friend.

"Things like what?" Caitlin was curious about what her friend was thinking about.

"You know...just work..& Barry" Felicity mumbled drinking some of her coffee.

"Oh I forgot you were leaving today! I understand now. You're going to miss him aren't you?" Caitlin replied smiling at her.

"Yeah I will...and of course you guys!" Felicity said initially with a quietly before raising her voice at the end.

"Anyway change of subject, how are you doing!? You don't think I haven't noticed you trying to cover up your eye bags with make up!?" She giggled at Caitlin who was startled by Felicity's observation of her face.

"Just haven't been having the most peaceful nights." Caitlin answered sighing.

"What do mean? Like you've been having dreams or something." The blonde inquired.

"Yeah I've been having dreams. Dreams about...this guy" Caitlin made sure to not mention Barry as the man in her dreams. Obviously she couldn't say "I've been having dreams about your boyfriend.", that would've been stupid of her.

"A guy you say?Hmmmmmm...interesting" Felicity smirked as she took another sip of her coffee.

"Why? What does it mean when I dream about a guy?" Caitlin lifted her left eyebrow.

"Well it usually means that this "guy" is constantly on your mind because you feel something for said guy." Felicity smiled at Caitlin before asking, "Sooooooo, who's "the guy?" Felicity once again smirking.

Caitlin's feeling awkward and flustered, "Oh no one, just you know.." it was as if she couldn't speak so she decides to drink her coffee instead.

"It's okay you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Felicity giggled at Caitlin's awkwardness.

The back door of the cafe opens, Barry walking in with a grey jacket, skinny jeans, converse and a shoulder bag. His eyes quickly found the table the two ladies were sitting at. Approaching them, through Caitlin's eyes it was as if he was walking in slow motion, admiring him. Her heart once again started to accelerate as he got closer and closer to them.

"Hey babe", Barry arriving at the table immediately giving Felicity a quick kiss, and taking the the seat next to her. "Hey Cait" Barry greeted Caitlin with that iconic smile that made her smile. "Hi Barry" Caitlin came back to her senses greeting her friend.

"Sorry for taking a long time, Singh wanted me to show the new lab assistant around the station. Eddie was supposed to do it but he's out with Iris." He apologized to both of them.

"So where's Cisco?" his attention going to Caitlin.

"Oh he's on a day off too. He's gone to go visit his girlfriend out of town." Caitlin explained for Cisco's absence.

"Cisco has a girlfriend!?" Barry was surprised. "Not that I mean anything mean by it just...wow! I'm proud of him." they all laughed.

"Really Cisco never told you!?" Caitlin replied still laughing

"Nope, not even one mention, ever since I met him"

"So what's her name? If you don't mind telling us" Felicity got in on the conversation grinning.

"Bette San Souci, she's an EOD specialist in the military" Caitlin told the couple who were eager to know the name.

"Military? For real!?" Barry was in disbelief.

"Yeah, for real" Caitlin nodded at him drinking her coffee.

Felicity took out her tablet and initiated a program and after a few taps a file came up on the screen, "Bette San Souci...there we go. Bette San Souci, military codename "Plastique", 24 years old, EOD Specialist, U.S Army." she showed Barry a picture of Bette handing him the tablet.

"Wow, Cisco got game." He said jokingly, handing the tablet back to his girlfriend. He suddenly felt his stomach rumbling. He forgot that he hadn't had lunch yet.

"Can we get some lunch? I'm feeling a bit famished" Barry asked the blonde and brunette who smirked at each other, as if they had a plan. "Yeah sure, let's go shall we. I'll drive!" Caitlin announced as the three of them rose from the stools and exited the cafe. They got into Caitlin's car and drove to the mall where they first went to Big Belly Burger for lunch.

 _*Central City Mall, Big Belly Burger, 3:00pm*_

They found themselves sitting at a table once again. Barry delved into a cheese burger as Felicity and Caitlin both ate a chicken sandwich and fries.

"I love how wherever you go Big Belly Burger will always taste like Big Belly Burger." Felicity spoke as she ate a frie.

"You mean full of grease and salt?" Barry said nonchalantly, swallowing the last bite of his cheeseburger.

"I thought those we're the secret ingredients." Felicity smiled at her boyfriend, grabbing a napkin and wiping the mustard off the side of his mouth. Caitlin sat there watching them, a smile on her face that she was really faking. Outside she was happy for them but inside it was like a knife was stuck in her chest, being twisted every time they kissed, hugged and stared into others eyes lovingly. She had to endure this pain the past few days, every time they would hang out.

"I hope you guys don't feel like I'm third wheeling" Caitlin spoke up catching the couple's attention.

"Of course not, in fact I feel like I'm third wheeling because you guys we're planning to go the mall, so this should be your and Felicity's thing." Barry told her, his lips arching into a smile.

"Speaking of which since we're all pretty much done with our food, how about we start that shopping spree before I go back to Starling City." a smug smile appeared on Felicity's and Caitlin's faces.

"Well I guess I should go, don't want to bother your shopping spree." Barry was about to stand up when Felicity pulled him back down.

"Not so fast Mr. Allen, you are coming with us!" Felicity told her boyfriend.

"But why? I don't even like shopping." Barry complained crossing his arms.

"Then who will carry our bags when we're done!? And don't you want to spend time with your girlfriend before she goes!?" Felicity pleaded with her best puppy eyes. Barry glanced at his girlfriends blue eyes, he couldn't resist. Rolling his eyes and giving a sigh,

"Fine. You know I can't say no to those eyes." he smiled warmly at her before all stood up and left the fast food joint, making their way to the multitude of clothing stores in the gigantic mall.

For two and half hours, Barry had to walk around as the girls' personal bag carrier and giver of second opinions whether the clothes look good them or not, where he would usually say "yes, you look great.". It reminded him of when he had to go shopping with Iris, to pay for that coffee the day he ran into Caitlin; it was just constantly "Do you think Eddie will like this on me?". Felicity and Caitlin had finally finished shopping but they had gone to the bathroom and so Barry took this opportunity to rest, putting down all the paper bags, sitting down on the bench. Breathing a sigh of relief was now able to give his arms a break, suddenly he saw a jewelry store. Knowing that he wouldn't see his girlfriend for quite a while again, he decided that maybe he should buy something for her to remember him everyday. He got up again carrying the bags around his arm, walking towards the jewelry shop. He enters the store examining the glass displays, looking for something that would represent him. That was when he saw a necklace with a lightning bolt pendant. "This is perfect." Barry thought to himself. He then noticed the price "$150", cringing slightly, he quickly made up his mind, to him Felicity was priceless so spending $150 for her was nothing. An old man then approached him,

"Young man, can I help you with anything?" the old man asked Barry, in a friendly voice.

"Yes, I'd like to purchase this necklace please." Barry looked up at the elder, pointing at the lightning bolt necklace.

"I see, very good choice. Let me get that for you." The man brought out a pair of white gloves from the drawer behind him. He put them on and grabbed the necklace from the glass case, and putting it in a dark blue case with the name of the store in gold engraved on it.

"Now come with me." the man lead Barry to the cash register.

"Would you like to pay with cash or card." He asked Barry, with a smile.

"By card" Barry dropped the bags on his arms an reached for his wallet, pulling his credit card out and placing the card into the machine. He typed in his pin code "1738" and waited for the machine to say "transaction complete". Within 30 seconds the text appeared and he put his card back into his wallet. The old man gave the case to Barry who placed it in his jacket pocket.

"Have a nice day young man" the old man told Barry as he picked up the bags and left.

Barry returned to the bench where he initially was; Caitlin and Felicity had not returned yet. After five minutes they finally met up with Barry at the bench.

"Sorry about that there was a long queue at the bathroom" Caitlin apologized in behalf of both her and Felicity.

"It's okay but I think it's time to go" Barry showed the time on his phone "5:40pm" and Felicity had to be at the station at 7:15pm.

"Alright, let's go then!" Caitlin lead them back to her car. She drove them back to Barry's apartment complex where they got off.

"Are you two sure, you don't want a ride station later?" Caitlin offered Barry and Felicity her assistance.

"It's okay Caitlin, you can go home, we'll just get a taxi. Thanks for asking though" Felicity always in a happy mood thanked her.

"Anything for a friend! Well I guess this is goodbye for now. Come visit again soon! It's nice to have a female friend around once in awhile" Caitlin smiled at Felicity.

"Will do, goodbye Caitlin!" Felicity waved her hand as Caitlin got in her car.

"Bye!" Caitlin waved her hand goodbye at the couple before driving home.

 _*Barry's apartment, 6:01pm*_

Barry unlocked the door and pushed it open, letting Felicity with the bags in first. Locking the door behind he hugged Felicity from behind, his arms wrapping around her waist.

"I gonna miss you so much" he told her as she checked her digital train ticket on her phone. Turning around Felicity wrapped her arms around him her head rested on his chest.

"I'll miss you too.".

"Bedroom?" Barry asked a lustful smile on his face.

"Yes, please" Felicity bit her lower lip taking Barry's hand as they entered his bedroom for some pleasure.

 _*20 minutes later*_

The two lay in bed half naked, cuddling with each other.

"You should get ready, don't wanna be late" Barry told his girlfriend.

"That's ironic coming from the guy who's always late." Felicity teased him.

"Touché" Barry laughed. "But seriously though we do need to get ready. You can go take a shower, I'll go pack your clothes okay?" Barry sat up from the bed and gave her a kiss in the forehead. Now with his clothes back on he began to put Felicity's clothes old and new back into her silver luggage bag. He took this moment to think about how much he loved her. Ever since Iris denied him back in high school he never really found anyone he'd fall head over heels for again. He had a couple of girlfriends throughout his life but he never loved them as much as Iris back then. That was until Felicity. Felicity was the second girl he'd fall for. The day he met Felicity was one of the best days of his life. The moment he saw her it was like as they say love at first sight. She was smart, funny, sweet, caring, strong and independent; everything a guy like him was looking for. Her deep blue eyes, luscious lips, gorgeous blonde hair and beautiful body were just icing on the cake. He was lucky to have her.

 _*6:35pm*_

Felicity had finished taking a shower and was now fully clothed. At the same time Barry had finished packing for her as he closed and zipped the luggage bag shut and called a taxi.

"So is everything ready?" Felicity approached Barry in a beautiful red dress that she bought just that day. Barry once again was astonished, simply speechless by his girlfriend's beauty.

"Yes. You look amazing by the way." Barry still slightly astounded. Felicity smiled at him and hugged him.

"Thanks babe. Let's go now, shall we?" Felicity put her jacket on and took Barry's hand.

"Let's go" Barry lead the way pulling the luggage with his right and holding Felicity's hand with his left. They left his apartment, Barry closing and locking the door behind them. As soon as they exited the building the taxi arrived. Barry placed the luggage in the trunk and sat with his girlfriend in the back.

"Central City Train Station please" Barry told the driver who nodded at him. Barry noticed that Felicity looked serious throughout the whole trip to the station. He held her and hand asking her, "Are you okay?".

"Yeah, I'm fine." Felicity assured him smiling and interlocking her fingers with his.

 _*Central City Train Station, 7:03pm*_

They arrived at the station and quickly found Felicity's platform. They were the only ones there. It had been a nice day so far but suddenly rain came crashing down. It was a good thing they were under the roof of the platform. Barry held her in his arms keeping her warm. He noticed that she hadn't been herself the past twenty minutes, so he decided to ask her again. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine trust me." Felicity replied but there was a certain tone in her voice that Barry heard that told him she wasn't okay.

"Here I want to give you something" Barry turned her around to face him and reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the dark blue case in attempt to put a smile on her face. Opening it in front of her, revealing the necklace he had bought for her. He took the necklace and put in around Felicity's neck.

"I thought that with this you'd remember me whenever you feel alone, that I love you and that if you ever need me there, I'll be there...in a flash" he explained to her. With a grin on his face he asked her "Do you like it?". Although he didn't get the reaction he expected. She covered her mouth with her hands as tears came streaming from her eyes

"No,no,no,no I can't, I can't..." her voice was muffled.

"Hey what's wrong? If you don't like it then I can just refund it" Barry said softly, pulling her in for a hug. But immediately she pulled away.

"No Barry, I can't accept this.."

"What do mean?" Barry was confused.

"Barry I don't deserve this! I don't deserve you!" she exclaimed, tears continuously flowing from her eyes.

"What!? Of course you do! You were the best thing to ever happen to me! And I love you Felicity!" Barry told her his mind still trying to get around the situation.

"That's the point! You love me so much but I...I don't think I share that love." Felicity confessed

"I don't understand" Barry's face was in a blank expression

"When I came here...it wasn't because I really missed you...it was to evaluate my feelings...how I felt about you...about us."

Barry wiped his face with his hands, tears began to emerge from his eyes. He put his hands on head in frustration. He expected this to happen someday but to affect him this much, to hurt him this much was something he couldn't imagine. He looked straight into Felicity's eyes and smiled a pain filled smile.

"It's Oliver isn't it?" Barry asked her, his chest like there was a massive hole through it.

"How...how did you know?" Felicity her emotions were a mixture of sadness and confusion.

"It's the little things...the way you watch at him when isn't looking...the way you're more touchy and sweet with me when he's around...those quiet dreams you keep to yourself...and live through me." Barry explained.

"Then why? why did you put up with me!?" Felicity asked him.

"Because I loved you...and that I was in denial. From the moment I met you I knew you had something for Oliver, but at the same time I fell for you. I tried to tell myself it wouldn't work, that it would just lead to a heart break in the end but I said "No, maybe I can change her heart" and so I took the risk and asked you out. When we got together I thought that I had just beaten the impossible especially the first time we said "I love you" to each other...but I guess I was both wrong and right. I was wrong to think that I beat the impossible! I was just stuck in my own illusion that you actually loved me the way I did with you! I was right that it'd only lead to heart break and me getting hurt in the end." Barry tried to keep his composure but tears never stopped coming down. The pain was evident in his voice.

"Barry, I'm sorry" Felicity apologized unhooking the necklace and handing it to Barry, placing it in his hand

"Don't be...it's my fault for being stubborn and loving you..just know that I cherished every moment that we spent together...I can't force anyone to love me...so please be happy because that's all I want for you.." Barry put the necklace back into the case and placed it in his pocket. The lights of the train could be seen approaching the platform. Barry pulled Felicity close placing he lips on hers, kissing her passionately knowing it'd probably be the last time he would be able to kiss her lips. The train arrived and the doors opened. Barry pulling away from the kiss and tightly hugging wishing it would last forever but it couldn't. Barry bursted into tears at that moment.

"Goodbye Felicity"

"Goodbye Barry"

Barry let go of her, Felicity grabbing her luggage and passing him. Barry kept his eyes closed looking down at the ground, his tears dropping on the cement floor as she boarded the train. The train departed and with it Barry's EX-girlfriend. He had lost another love of his life. Wiping the tears from his face, he felt nothing but sadness it was if someone had smashed his heart into pieces and needed someone to talk to, someone who'd understand him. Looking at his contacts everyone seemed busy but then he saw that person's name. Someone he knew he could understand him and talk to. Tapping the call button beside the name the phone began to ring. Holding it against his ear they picked up..

"Hey Caitlin...are you free to talk to right now?" Barry trying his best to hide the pain in his voice.

"Yeah, I'm just at my place if you want to come over." she replied kindly.

"Alright, I'll be there in a few minutes. See you later."

"Bye Barry."

He ended the call making his way towards the front entrance of the station to get a taxi.

End of Chapter 7

 ** _A/N: I hope y'all enjoyed this long chapter. If you cried or caused any chest pains I'm sorry xD. This marks the end of Barry and Felicity. Chapter 8 will come soon maybe tomorrow if I've got the time ;) As always leave a review of what you thought and until then I'll see ya!_**


	8. Chapter 8: Thanks For Being Here

_**A/N: Hi guy's! Thank you for all your reviews! I appreciate every single one of them. I'm glad you're enjoying the story hope you keep enjoying it in the future! Now to address some reviewers:**_

 _ **Lina - Sorry if you felt that the break up was a bit rushed. I guess maybe I should've done another chapter where Cisco, Caitlin, Barry & Felicity go out again before the breakup I guess I so caught up with making Barry sad (LOL) that I just forgot. Thank's for reviewing I hope you continue to enjoy!**_

 _ **Raquel - Yes, I did make Bette, Cisco's girlfriend an you were probably as confused and in disbelief as Barry last chapter ^_^ but I needed to find a way to not have Cisco there and that idea just popped into my head :D Plus now Barry has something else to tease Cisco about XD**_

 _ **Guest - No you're not a bad person for saying "Hell yeah!" when Barry said "It's Oliver isn't it" XD I'm glad your enjoying the story!**_

 _ **With that all done here it is Chapter 8! Enjoy the snowbarry, there's more to come :)**_

"Bye Barry" The call ended. There was something in his voice that didn't seem natural, he didn't really sound like the Barry she knew...and loved. She then came to the realization that Barry Allen was coming over to her apartment. She made sure the whole living room was neat and tidy and that the kitchen was clean. She stood there proudly, hands on her hips, as she admired the cleanliness of her apartment. Everything was perfect but she seemed to be forgetting about one thing. She looked down at what she was wearing; short-shorts and a Star Labs sweater. She couldn't show herself to Barry this, she thought. "I have to at least look presentable!" Caitlin exclaimed in her mind. Rushing up stairs she puts on a pair of sweatpants and then looks at herself in the mirror. Noticing the corniness of her Star Labs sweat shirt she takes it off and put on a long sleeved v-neck instead. "Alright, everything is looking good Caitlin. A lot more presentable than short-shorts and a sweater from my working place I guess?". The door bell suddenly rang. She ran down the stairs eagerly and then to the front door. There's was a sense of excitement in her so before she opened the door she took a deep breath just to calm herself. Twisting the lock to open, she expected to see that bright grin on his face but instead she was met by this blank expression.

"Hey Barr...y" Caitlin initially greeting him with an uplifted voice but when she saw his face her voice faded into a more softer sound.

His face looked liked something died. His eyes were slightly puffy indicating that he had been crying. Looking at Caitlin with his green eyes which were still watery, he struggled to put on a smile.

"Hey Cait, can I come in?" Barry sounded like he was repressing himself from crying.

"Yeah of course. Come in." She stepped to her right making space for him. She felt like something was going on; something she was unaware of. The atmosphere around him seemed abnormal.

Locking the door she followed him to the living room where he took off his jacket placing it on the couch. He examined the room painted in white. Decorated with some paintings as well as a large tv that hung on the wall, there was a large book case placed at the corner of the room to the left, on each side of the tv were two large windows which gave a beautiful view of Central City during the night, a large black leather couch and a coffee table in the centre of it all. Her apartment was significantly larger than Cisco's and a lot cleaner.

"You've got a really nice place." Barry told her still trying to keep his composure.

"Thanks" Caitlin replied smiling a him.

Barry say down on the couch briefly putting his face in his palms. Caitlin sat down beside him her hand on his shoulder.

"Barry are you okay?" She looked at him in his eyes sincerely. She was worried about him. She didn't like seeing him like this. She wanted the joyful Barry back.

"Barely...I'm a wreck right now." Barry answered her tears slowly dropping from his eyes.

"Why? What happened?" Caitlin asked, her concern could be heard from the tone of her voice. Barry's eyes began tearing up even more.

"Felicity...she and I...broke up." Barry told her, struggling to complete the sentence. Caitlin covered her mouth with her hands in disbelief. They were such a loving and perfect couple just a few hours ago. How? how could this have happened? Caitlin thought.

"Oh my god Barry, I'm so sorry" she found herself wrapping her arms around him pulling him in for a hug, as if it was a natural instinct.

Barry's head rested on her shoulder. He felt her warmth which comforted him. It was like he suddenly felt a bit better in her arms, a sense of relief and safety. She had that kind of effect on people. Barry pulled away, wiping his tears and sniffling. He leaned into the cushion resting his back and began to speak.

"I loved her so much Cait. Ever since the first time I met her I loved her, but I guess my feelings are just not strong enough to change how someone feels about somebody else. She was the second person I ever fall that much for; Iris was the first back in high school-" Barry shortly laughed to himself before continuing.

"-The day I met Felicity I knew that she had feeling for someone else; for Oliver ,and I knew that I was just going to walk in a path that would eventually end with me getting the short end of the stick, if I was to date her...but my heart didn't care; It beat for her. When she became my girlfriend it was some kind of happiness I never experienced before and whenever we said I love you to each other it made me fall in love with her even more but the harder I fell for her the deeper I dove into the lies I told myself constantly, that we were actually meant to be. Today I finally woke up from those lies. I guess it was time to face the truth. She didn't love me as much as I wished she did."

Caitlin sat there listening to him. Tears slid down her face as Barry told her of his tragic love story. She thought that he needed someone to vent these feelings to and as his friend she was happy to be that someone. Barry reached over to his jacket taking out the blue case that contained the necklace her bought. Opening it he held the necklace in his hand showing Caitlin.

"I was bought this for her today, when you guys went to the bathroom at the mall. It was supposed to remind her of me and that I loved her. Fate is just so fond of screwing with my love life I guess. She was my everything Cait, everything that made me more of a better and stronger person. I don't know if I live with out her in my life." Barry looked at the necklace even more depressed than he did before.

"Hey don't say that. You have your friends and your family right here. We're all here for you. And if this *referring to necklace* wasn't meant for her, then keep it for someone who'll deserve it someday. With or without her by your side you're still you Barry." Caitlin told him wiping her own tears away and looked directly into his watery eyes; something she wouldn't usually be able to do with blushing but this time she could. She put her hand over Barry's and moved closer to him. She smiled at him.

"I know you'll get through this, I just know you will. Obviously Felicity wasn't the one for you and that's okay, because one day someone new will come around and you'll feel something even greater and uncontrollable than what you felt before. For the person that you are Barry, you deserve better and whatever happens next it'll be better. So please, smile."

Barry felt Caitlin's words touch his heart. Something about it made him feel more relieved and lighter. He felt comfortable around her like he could tell her anything. He shot a smile back at her now more genuinely.

"I'm so glad that you're my friend." he suddenly hugged Caitlin. Caitlin's face blushed; it was something so unexpected.

"I'm always here for you when you need me." She was glad to see him smile again. She knew that she needed to help him with move on from Felicity and she had idea on how to do so.

"Now! I guess it's time to initiate step one of Dr. Snow's "Moving On" plan." Caitlin released herself from the hug and standing up.

"Step one of what now?" Barry raised his eyebrow as he put the necklace back into it's case and into his jacket pocket. The pain of losing Felicity was still there but not as severe as it was a few moments ago. Caitlin had helped reduce this pain, making him realize that it wasn't the end of the world. There's seemed to be a lighter and softer atmosphere around him now.

"Step one of Dr. Snow's "Moving On" plan! well technically Cisco's but he's not here right now so I'll be the helper!" Caitlin said jokingly as she strolled into the kitchen only to come back with a large bottle of vodka and two glasses.

"Step One: Get drunk and numb the pain!" She said proudly.

Placing the glasses on the coffee table, she poured some of the alcohol into both. Taking one for herself and giving one to Barry, then gently hitting her glass off his making a _tink_ sound as a toast.

"Here's to forgetting her and liquid courage." She told him as they both downed the first glass of what would soon be many.

"Woah! this is some strong stuff." Barry felt the burn in his throat as the alcohol slid down to his stomach.

"I know, that's exactly what I said when I first drank it with Cisco." She laughed sitting beside him on the couch again.

"Why do you even have this? I thought you barely drank?" Barry picked up the clear glass bottle with a red and gold label examining it. Caitlin sat down beside him now in a less joyful mood as she began to remember the times of darkness in her life.

"Well, it was after Ronnie passed from the car. I became really depressed. I would go to work and wouldn't talk to anyone, go home and eat and drink. I tried to drink away all the hurt and the misery by myself but it didn't go away, in fact it made it worse and just made me miss him more. But one day Cisco knocked on the front door with a bottle of that and told me that I wasn't alone in this; that if we were going to drink our sorrows away we would do it together." Caitlin smiled as she reminisced that time.

"That day Cisco showed me how to be a good friend. Having each other's backs and being there when we needed each other. He helped me get over Ronnie's death and got me back on my feet one drink at a time. And that's why we're doing this together because I'm your friend and I've here to help. This was his plan and now it's mine!" Taking the bottle off of Barry's hands, she poured another glass for her and Barry to drink and doing another toast.

"To repairing Barry's broken heart and to liquid courage." She repeated before both of them downed the strong liquid.

For the next hour or so they were drinking the vodka that Caitlin had put out just for him. Caitlin was slowly taking sips from her glass after drinking her second one, knowing that more than four glasses would unleash "drunk Caitlin" a side of her which had no shame, the side of her that would sing on stage even though she was tone deaf. Barry however downed drink after drink after drink, finishing about six glasses of the strong vodka but Caitlin just laughed as Barry became more and more drunk as time passed on. She couldn't blame him though, after what happened to him that night he needed some drinks.

"I'm fine...I swear I'm fine Caitlin." Barry struggled to get up from the couch wanting to go home. His mind all muzzy and his vision was becoming hazy. He couldn't focus on doing anything properly. The alcohol had hit him hard.

"No you're not Barry; you're drunk." Caitlin giggled at Barry who was finding it hard to keep on his feet, constantly needing switching his weight, stumbling back and forth.

"Pffffff, I'm not drunk okay. I promise I'm not drunk!" Barry put his hands on his hips, much like how Caitlin would and gave a goofy smile at her that made Caitlin laugh even harder.

"Alright, if you're not drunk, then make it all the way to the door without holding onto the wall or falling" Caitlin had a smug face on her knowing that Barry had no chance of making it there.

"Challenge accepted" he smirked as he tried to walk attempting to keep his balance with his arms out to his side.

"See I'm not drunk..." Barry exclaimed just before he lost his balance and fell on the wooden floor. He hadn't got very far.

"Oh my God! Barry, are you alright!? Are you hurt!?" Caitlin rushed to the fallen Barry immediately and helped him up.

"Challenge failed. You win. I'm drunk." Barry got up and was escorted back to the couch where Caitlin took off his jacket and lay him down.

"I shouldn't have challenged you in the first place. I knew you'd fail." Caitlin sat just at the feet of Barry.

"You had no fate in me!?" Barry asked jokingly.

"Nope it's just I always win." Caitlin smirked at the drunk Barry Allen.

"You know what? I'm going to beat you at something someday! Just you wait Dr. Snow!" Barry smiled at Caitlin.

"I doubt it'll ever happen." Caitlin laughing at drunk Barry again. She looked at the time on her phone "9:00pm" then looking down at Barry who was obviously in no shape or form going to be able to get home.

"Well it looks like you're crashing on my couch tonight! I'll go get a pillow and a blanket for you. Stay right there". Caitlin commanded the intoxicated man as she stood up and jogged up stairs. Barry sat up and unlacing his converse, taking them off his feet, he felt so relaxed as if nothing had happened. It was probably the alcohol flowing through his veins. Laying back down, Caitlin came back with a large blue blanket and a pillow and placed it under his head and the blanket over his body.

"There we go! Now get a good nights rest because that head of yours is going to hurt like hell in the morning!" Caitlin knelt down in front of him.

"Thanks Caitlin, for being here for me" Barry held Caitlin's hand and looked into her dark brown eyes, smiling at her. Despite his drunkenness his was still able to thank her. Caitlin flushed for a moment as Barry took hold of her hand. She smiled back at him.

"Anytime. Goodnight"

"Goodnight" Barry eyes shut and soon enough he fell asleep.

Caitlin quietly admired Barry's face as he dozed off before going up to her room to freshen up and get ready for bed as well. She didn't feel as nervous around him that night. It's probably because of the situation of everything she thought. What kind of selfish person would she be if she still thought about her feelings for him just after a breakup, Caitlin laying down on her bed. She felt her eyelids close, falling asleep, a smile on her face as she did. She was happy that she helped Barry that night.

End of Chapter 8

 _ **A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. As always leave some reviews on what you thought about it! I have some plans made for the snowbarry in the future including a karaoke night chapter somewhere down the line! Next chapter will come out in a couple of days! I've already started on it!**_


	9. Chapter 9: In This Together

**_A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the delay of this chapter! Was super busy the past few days! So lots of SnowBarry interaction here! I hope y'all enjoy this one!_**

 _*The next morning*_

Barry opened his eyes, his head felt like it got hit by an anvil. There was a throbbing pain that was annoying him. He couldn't remember much from last night, all he could was venting to Caitlin then hugging her, drinking a lot of vodka, falling down on the floor and saying thank you. Sitting up he felt cold, not noticing that he had taken off his shirt during his sleep. He usually slept shirtless so it didn't surprise him that he unconsciously had taken it off. The apartment seemed empty, taking a look at his phone for the time. "12:15pm" the numbers on the screen read. There was an unread message from Caitlin that was just sent a few hours ago. Unlocking his phone to read the message.

"Hey Barry! Good morning or good evening! (depending on the time you actually wake up). By the time you read I've probably be gone off to work; I've made some breakfast for you in the fridge so just heat that up. You drank a lot last night so you're most likely to have a hangover right now so make sure to drink lots of water! I've already called Joe to tell the captain that you won't be able to come in today so you're pretty much covered! P.S you can use the shower in my room if you want."

Barry smiled as he made his way to the kitchen to eat some breakfast, amused by Caitlin's attentiveness. His head wasn't in pain as much now. He opened the fridge taking the plate of scrambled eggs and bacon that was wrapped with plastic and the pitcher of water. He heated the food before eating it and once he finished he drank a lot of water, following Caitlin's orders practically finishing half the pitcher. After washing the dishes he ventured into Caitlin's room to take a shower. He looked around the room, like downstairs everything was so tidy and everything was in the right place. The walls were painted a light brown with cream accents, her bed was placed to the right, a bedside table at each side; one had a lamp and the other a pile of books as well as a picture of her and Ronnie. The bathroom and the walk-in closet were right beside each other, maroon curtains draped in front of the windows which gave the room a lovely glow when light shone through. He entered the shower, spotting Caitlin's collection of various types of make up just on the counter where the sink was, slightly surprised Barry didn't think she used that much. He undressed and got into the shower, turning the hot water tap clockwise. After such a hangover he needed one.

 _*10 mins later*_

Barry had just finished his shower, as he began to dress up again, forgetting to bring his shirt with him. Running down stairs to the living room, where he had left his shirt, he found that Caitlin was already there.

Caitlin had returned to her apartment to check on Barry during her lunch break. Walking to the living room she finds Barry's shirt on the couch and picks it up. "Where could he be?" she thought, when suddenly she heard footsteps going down the stairs. Looking towards that direction she watched the shirtless Barry Allen go down the stairs. She gulped, her eyes fixated on his body. She felt her jaw drop slightly and began to breathe a little heavier. She couldn't take her eyes off the sight of his lean body yet had a chiseled chest and well toned abs as he approached her.

"Hey Caitlin! Ugh Caitlin? Cait?" Barry called her name waving his hand in front of her face snapping out of her daze.

"Huh what? Oh hey Barry! You uhh left your shirt." she felt so awkward at that point she hoped Barry didn't catch her staring.

"Thanks. What exactly were you looking at?" Barry began to button up his shirt.

Caitlin avoided to look down at Barry's body which was soon covered by the fabric of his shirt. She clears her throat.

"Nothing just thought I saw something on the wall..." Caitlin lied to him nervously.

"Okayyyyy...aren't you supposed to be at work though?" Barry was surprised knowing Caitlin loved her job would just leave all of a sudden.

"I'm on my lunch break. Plus as a doctor and your friend, I wanted to check on you." she explained smiling at him. "So how are you feeling?" Caitlin sat down on the couch to relax for a moment.

"Well my head still kinda hurts from all that vodka...and I still feel heart broken" Barry sighed looking at the doctor a weak smile on his face appeared.

"You know what we should go for a walk! Get your mind off of it and I can tell you about step 2 of the plan!" Caitlin suggested as she sprung up from the couch. It was her attempt to cheer him up again today.

"Sounds good. Let's go", the two left the apartment in each other's company.

 _*Central City Park*_

"So you weren't just a super nerd like I was!?" Caitlin slightly shocked by this discovery.

"Well, I was on the track team but athletics wasn't really a big thing in my high school, it was really just football, soccer and basketball that were popular, so basically I still was a nerd."

"At least you had some kind of social life and sports. My high school life consisted of studying, reading and piano lessons." Caitlin explained to Barry.

"Did you really have no friends back then?"

"Nope, not really. The closest to a friend that I had back then was my puppy Snowflake!" Caitlin felt a hint of embarrassment in her. Was she really that much of a loner back then!?

"I guess it's great that you have some friends now-" Barry told her his lips arching into a smile. "-even if there's like only four people..." he added his smile transforming into a smirk.

"Rude!" Caitlin hit Barry on his arm, as he showed no signs of pain and just laughed it off.

"But for real, I'm glad to be your friend! There's a lot people in this world but I am one of those lucky enough to see the _real_ Caitlin Snow"

Caitlin blushed, flattered by his compliment. It was these type of things that he said that made her feel something deeper for him.

"Thanks, I appreciate that. I'm glad to be your friend too." Caitlin knew that she lied to herself with that. She knew she wanted to be something more. Suddenly she felt a pinching pain in her stomach. She had totally forgotten about lunch.

"Hey Barry how about we go to Jitters? I feel like I could use a panini or two." Caitlin suggested. "Yeah sure" Barry replied as they began to make their way to the cafe just a few blocks away; their shoulder's side by side.

 _*Jitters*_

Barry held the door open for Caitlin like the gentleman he was. The delightful aroma of coffee filled the busy cafe. "Hey guys!" a familiar voice came from the counter. Iris from around the counter jogged over to them and hugged Barry and Caitlin.

"How are you guys? I heard someone was looking for me yesterday?" Iris asked them as they found table. "Oh you're talking about Felicity..." Caitlin glancing at Barry would kept a weak smile on his face. She knew that whenever they mentioned her name, the pain from that night came back to him little by little.

"You're girlfriend right Barry? I wish I could've met her." there was a wide smile on her face. "Well actually, as of last night...my _ex_ -girlfriend." a sense of uncomfortableness in his voice. Caitlin who identified this placed her hand on his shoulder to give him some support.

"I'm so sorry to hear that Barry. I wish you called me so we could've talked about it." Iris placed her hands over Barry's and gave him a sympathetic smile that told him that she was there for him.

"I figured you were busy with Eddie, so I didn't want to bother your guy's day." Barry explained why he didn't call her. "Anyway, I don't really want to dwell on that more today, can we get something to eat?" Barry shook the sadness out of him and changed the topic.

"Yeah of course! What do you guys want to get?" Iris hopped out of her seat; she was back to her enthusiastic self again.

"I think we'll get two ham and cheese panini's and both our regular coffees." Caitlin gave her order to Iris, who quickly went behind the counter to make the coffee and the sandwiches. Her attention went back to Barry who was in a pensive mood, elbows on the table and his hands interlocking forming a roof over his mouth, asking him if he was okay. She gave him a reassuring smile and repeated something she had said last night. "Remember, whatever happens next, it'll be better." Smiling back at her, "I know; thanks" Barry told her softly.

Iris came back with the drinks and the sandwiches, "Sorry guys, can't join you right now. Manager's having a hissy fit about me taking a little break earlier. Don't wanna get fired! Enjoy your meal!"

"Thanks Iris" Barry and Caitlin told her at the same time, their voices synchronizing, which made them laugh at the moment.

Iris walked back to the counter as the two brunettes both took bites of their sandwiches. Barry rolled his eyes at its deliciousness, Caitlin giggled at his reaction.

"How have I never had these before?" he asked rhetorically, amazed by the flavor, before taking another bite.

"Slow down, you might choke." Caitlin in the midst of laughter took a sip of her coffee. She'd never get tired of that sweetness from the cinnamon; it was her favorite part of the coffee.

"I've been wondering, where's Cisco?" Barry washed down the panini with his own drink.

"Oh he's been busy with the friction suit." Caitlin finishing the panini, dusting the breadcrumbs off her hands.

"And how's Bette?" a smirk grew on Barry's face, as he ate what remained of his sandwich.

"Well Cisco said she's okay but she had to leave again really soon."

"You know it's still pretty shocking to me that he has a girlfriend; a soldier at that! Like I'm sorry I couldn't ever imagine it"

"I guess what they say is true, opposites do attract" Caitlin said smugly smiling at the scientific reference.

"So you mentioned something about Step 2?" Barry was curious about Caitlin had told him at the apartment.

"Ah yes, Step 2!" Caitlin clears her throat before continuing. "Step 2: Moving On. Now this step is probably the most difficult of all...heck even I don't think I gotten past it." Caitlin closed her eyes for a few seconds, as her eyes started to water; a tear soon dropping down to her cheek. Memories of Ronnie came back to her at that moment. She had got over his death with Cisco's help but she hadn't really moved on from Ronnie. Despite her feelings for Barry, Ronnie still took part of the majority of her heart. Barry taking hold of her hands, a concerned look on his face.

"Hey, I'm right here if you need someone to talk to; we're in this together." he tells her reassuringly. Caitlin sniffles and taking her hands away from Barry's grasp , wipes the tear off her face shooting a warm smile back at him.

"Thanks Barry" Caitlin once again clears her throat and checks her phone for the time, revealing that she still had an hour to spare before going back to the lab.

"So where to next? I've still got an hour to spare" Caitlin asked with a more happy tone.

"Hmmmmm, how about...we go to the precinct...show you my day job?"

Barry suggested, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'd love to go but I called that you couldn't come in today so that's one thing." Caitlin sounded slightly disappointed by that fact.

"Well if that's the problem I'll just say that a certain Dr. Snow has given me clearance to go back to work." Barry smirked at her. "Alright let's go then!" Caitlin more uplifted. Walking to the counter they paid for their meal and said goodbye to Iris before going to the CCPD precinct.

 _*The Precinct*_

The two exited the elevator, Caitlin was just in awe of the interior architecture of the building. It was beautiful (of course not as beautiful as Star Labs but still very pretty) Caitlin thought. The shiny marble floors were in brown and beige squares , the walls were a mixture of exposed bricks and marble which matched the colour of the floor. A large bronze tablet was placed in the wall reading " _Central_ _City Police"_ at the top and at the bottom the words " _Truth_ ", " _Liberty_ " and " _Justice_ " were engraved, decorated by an eagle and the Greek gods. The whole place was very busy, the sound of discussion between between officers, the ringing of incoming calls from the office area and the constant tapping of the heels of the police officers' leather shoes as they walked past the two could be heard.

"So this is where you work? It seems nice" Caitlin was finally able to speak after admiring the beauty of the place.

"Well this is the building but my lab is upstairs, c'mon I'll show you" Barry said but before they could go anywhere he heard a voice call for him "ALLEN!" Turning his head towards the office area he watched as Captain Singh approached them; that stern expression present as usual.

"I thought you couldn't come in today, so what are you doing here?" Singh quickly questioning him about his absence.

"Sorry captain, I just got clearance from my doctor that I could go to work and because I love my job, I decided to come in and just do overtime if I have to." Barry partially lied to his superior keeping a straight face to make it more believable. He did love his job. The captain looked at Barry with skepticism in his eyes. Caitlin acknowledged the situation and decided to help Barry.

"He was experiencing nausea and a very severe headache earlier today" the two glanced at each other. Singh's gaze turned to Caitlin, "And who are you, his girlfriend?" Caitlin cheeks blushed for a moment before she put her hand out for him to shake "Dr. Caitlin Snow, Mr. Allen's personal physician. It's nice to meet you." She gave the captain a thin-lipped smile.

"Likewise Dr. Snow" he shook her hand, the suspicion in his voice had faded away. His attention back to Barry "Don't worry about overtime Allen and keep yourself stress free. We always need someone dedicated to their job. Can you have the evidence from the Olaf case analyzed by the end of the day?" Singh asked Barry who nodded in reply. "Good, now please excuse me" Singh walked back towards the office area, Barry and Caitlin kept straight faces as he did. When the captain was out of sight, they high-fived and laughed making their way up the stairs to Barry's lab.

"Thanks for helping me out back there" Barry was grateful that Caitlin had assisted him in making an excuse. "Anytime" a bright smirk on her face, as they strolled down the hallway. "You know that's the nicest thing he's said to me since I began to work here! Maybe I should have you here more often" he said jokingly, both of them laughed at the idea.

"Bar?" a middle aged man as tall as Barry stood in front of them. "Oh hey Joe! Sorry didn't see you there" Barry wore a grin on his face. "I thought you couldn't come in? I'm sorry about Felicity by the way, don't worry son you'll find someone again someday." Joe pulled him into a brief hug, patting his back. "Thanks Joe" a soft smile on Barry's face. Joe was like a second father to him; after his mom was murdered Barry moved to Starling City with his dad Henry and studied there until he graduated from high school, which was when he decided to go to college in his hometown Central City. While he was in college Joe acted as his guardian and did everything a parent would do for their child; Joe taught him how to drive, the basics of cooking, gave him relationship advice and encouragement, while Henry provided him with allowance, advice and encouragement as well. It was like he had two awesome dads and he was grateful to have them in his life.

"I wanted to show Caitlin around so I made an excuse to go back to work! Which actually sounds so weird now that I think about it. Usually people would do the opposite!" Barry explained himself realizing that he had done something so unusual. "It's good to know that you're doing okay" Joe was happy to see Barry so cheerful despite being heartbroken. "I getting help from a really good friend" Barry glancing at Caitlin who just smiled at him. "I'm glad you are. Thank you Caitlin" Joe appreciated the fact that Barry had someone there to support him. "It's what friends are for" Caitlin replied kindly. Joe's phone suddenly rings "Looks like I have to go, duty calls". "See you later" Barry told Joe as he jogged down the stairs.

Finally reaching his lab, Barry slides the large metal door open. "And here we are my lab!" The room was well illuminated with three large windows letting vast amounts of sunlight shine through. The room was quite large, containing lockers, multiple desks and metal racks that held an abundance of different chemicals in each containers as well as all the necessary lab equipment and two computers. "So you can take a seat there if you want or wander around while I do some CSI stuff!" Barry went over to one of the lockers fishing for the evidence for the Olaf case and taking his examining kit out from another locker. Barry proceeded to do his work, Caitlin watched the magic happen as Barry swiftly finished his examination of the evidence and began to analyze the fingerprints that he had obtained. Barry sat on a chair as he waited for the analysis to finish, he glanced over at Caitlin who was messing with a molecular model.

"Can I ask you something that you don't have to answer?" He caught Caitlin's attention, raising her eyebrow.

"My least favorite type of question. Shoot."

"Ronnie, what was he like?" Caitlin sighed feeling her chest tightening thinking about her dead fiancé. Taking a deep breathe she began to talk. Hurt was evident in her voice.

"Cisco introduced him to me; he was one of the engineers at Star Labs that he was working with, he liked to joke that he was basically a "high price plumber"- Caitlin grinned at the thought of Ronnie's joke before she continued "We were very different, you might've noticed I can be a bit guarded. Ronnie knew how to make me laugh; he used to say we were like fire and ice. He wasn't supposed to go to that party that night, but he did for me. When I said goodbye to him on the phone while he was on his way, I never expected it to be our last" Caitlin tried to hold her composure, only a few tears came down from her eyes. Barry rose from the chair and wrapped his arms around her to comfort her.

"I miss him so much Barry" Caitlin mumbled as she cried into his shoulder. "It's okay we all miss people we've lost." Barry told her to calm her down. Pulling away, Barry's hands were on her shoulders. Wiping her tears aways Barry looked her right in her eyes "- but they'd want us to move on with our lives, and look at you, you've gotten so far and well, Ronnie would want you to keep doing so." he reassured her, a warm smile formed on his face. Caitlin mirroring the smile nodded.

The computer beeped telling Barry the analysis was done. He ran over to the computer and printed the results, then placed them in a manila folder. Caitlin checked her phone for the time, she had to be back at Star Labs in half an hour.

"Hey Barry...I think it's-" "-time to go?" Barry finished her sentence. "Took the words right out of my mouth" she softly laughed. Barry grabbed the manila folder and then he realized something; they walked all the way here and left Caitlin's car at her place. He glanced over to Caitlin, her face told him she realized it too. They both laughed at themselves for their silly mistake.

"Wait I think I know how to fix this" Barry fished his phone out from his pocket and called Eddie. "C'mon Eddie pick up" he thought as his phone rang."Hello, Barry?" the blonde detective answered.

"Hey Eddie, are you at the precinct right now?" Barry asked him, eagerly wanting him to say yes. "I actually just arrived. Watcha need?" Eddie curious about Barry's question. "Can you do me a favor? Can I borrow your car? I just need to bring a friend to work." Barry requested. "Yeah sure buddy! Meet me at the parking" Eddie said with a friendly voice. "Thanks man! I'll buy you a drink later okay" Barry relieved by Eddie's response. "Haha sounds good to me"

Barry ended the call and looked over to Caitlin smirking at her "Let's go?". "Let's go!" Caitlin putting her bag over her shoulder. They walked to the parking space stopping by at Singh's office before meeting Eddie. Eddie handed Barry the keys to his white Mitsubishi. "Take care of my baby" the blonde joked. "I will" Barry sniggered. The two brunettes got in the car, Barry taking the driver seat which made her raise her eyebrow. "Barry? You know how to drive?" Caitlin asked him as he buckled his seatbelt and placed the key into the ignition, the car engine revving. "Of course I do! Just because I don't have a car doesn't mean I can't. Plus I was taught by the best drivers I know!" a smug expression on his face as he backed up from the parking space, facing the car towards the exit. "And who might that be?" Caitlin buckled her seatbelt. "Joe and my Dad!" Barry replied enthusiastically.

And he wasn't lying, Caitlin felt like they were gliding on the road, Barry's driving was that smooth. After 20 minutes of what felt like a ride on a hover car, they arrived at the front of Star Labs. "And here we are! Still doubting my driving skills?" a wide smirk on his face. Caitlin just shook her head and laughed as she got out of the car, turning to Barry who had the window open.

"Thanks for today, I know I was supposed to be helping you but you ended up helping me" Caitlin appreciated what Barry told her in his lab about moving on with life. "Like you said we're in this together, so let's get over step 2 together" Barry replied before they said their goodbyes, Barry driving off and Caitlin checking in for work.

* _Star Labs*_

Caitlin entered the Cortex which was as busy as usual, for some reason the people present took a peculiar look at her when she appeared. "Is there something on her face?" she thought, pulling her phone out to checking her reflection on it's screen. "Nothing wrong with it! What are people staring at!?" she asked herself still looking into the screen.

"Looks like you had a nice lunch!" Cisco came from behind her a lollipop in his mouth. "What do you mean?" Caitlin was a little bit confused, why was everyone looking at her like there was something usual about her. Her eyes on the reflection of herself on the screen of the phone again, she realized that she had a bright smile on her face all this time; which truth be told was rare to see. Quickly her face changes expression from a smile to a more neutral one.

"I did have a nice lunch, with Barry actually" Caitlin told Cisco as she put her lab coat on. "Wait so you're telling me you and Barry had lunch together?-" Cisco sounded slightly offended. Before Caitlin could say anything back to him, Cisco exclaimed "- and didn't even bother inviting me!? I thought we we're the trio!? Team Snowbarrisco!?" Caitlin just laughed at her friend's over reaction. "Relax we just ate panini's at Jitters!" she was trying to calm him down. "Nope food is still better with friends!" he crossed his arms and avoided eye contact with her pouting like a child. "Fine I'll make it up to you; all three of us can go out and eat or do whatever you want to do and in addition I'll get you a week supply of candy. Cisco's eyes turned towards Caitlin who was still giggling at his ridiculousness. He squinted at her, "You're bluffing" questioning the credibility of her offer. "Cisco I never bluff! This is genuine and you know that!" a small smile on her face, her hand out to seal the deal. Cisco rolled his eyes and shook her hand "Deal". "Great!" Cisco finally looked her in the eye and mirrored a smile. "You know you're such a child right?" Caitlin teased him. "I know" Cisco admitted, both of them breaking into laughter.

End of Chapter 9

 _ **A/N: Thanks for reading the latest chapter! As always leave a review of what you thought about it! I love it when I see the feedback from you guys! Chapter 10 will come soon! I have an idea in mind of what Cisco wants to do with the trio! Until next time I'll see ya!**_


	10. Chapter 10: The Fair

**_A/N: Two chapters in one week! Awesome right!? Anyway here's chapter ten! Hope you all enjoy and I'll see you at the other A/N section at the end :)_**

It had taken Cisco a couple of days to finally find out what he wanted to do with the "Snowbarrisco" trio. He didn't just want to go out and eat, because that was just too basic. Cisco wanted to have fun, and what was more fun than the Central City Fair, which was coincidentally happening that day when everyone of them was off duty."Yo this is gonna be dope!" Cisco excitedly held the flier in his hand,running to his car to drive to Caitlin's place.

Over the past few days Caitlin and Barry had been spending more time together. He'd often be at her house watching a movie, talking or just generally hanging out as friends. Caitlin didn't mind; it was nice having a person around in her apartment, especially Barry Allen, a person who understood her really well and knew how to make her smile. Her apartment didn't feel so lonely anymore.

"Checkmate!" Caitlin stopped the timer on her phone, clapping her hands, celebrating her win.

"You've got to be kidding me!?" Barry couldn't believe he lost again. It had been their third round of chess and he was defeated every single one.

"Face it Barry, I don't lose in chess. I was back to back state champion back in Pittsburgh." Caitlin crossed her arms, a smug smile on her face as she boasted about her past achievements in chess.

"So I'm guessing you were state champion in "Connect Four", "Uno", checkers and "Battleship" as well." Barry said sarcastically, glancing over the pile of games that they played that afternoon; all of them which Barry lost multiple rounds in.

"It's okay, we can play another round of chess if you feel like losing again" she teased Barry rolling his eyes.

"Nope, we're switching to a new game!" Barry pulled out another cardboard box from his plastic bag that lay on the floor. "Operation!" he unboxed the game, revealing the slotted cartoon man on a surgical bed with a red buzzer for a nose.

Caitlin laughed loudly; did Barry really just suggest playing a game which is based on surgery? "Piece-Of-Cake. Bring it on!" she smirked at him grabbing the tweezers as Barry pushed the switch to on, the red buzzer glowing indicating the game had begun.

*A couple minutes later*

"BUZZZZZ!" the buzzer on the game went off again. It was like the hundredth time it happened in the past ten minutes. Caitlin squealed with annoyance, the tweezer had hit the metal rim again. She had repeatedly failed to retrieve the random object from the man's body after 5 rounds of playing; Barry winning all of them.

"You know what!? Screw this game! What's the point of this game anyway!? It's not even anatomically correct!" she was so pissed off by the game that she wanted to throw it out of the window. Barry sat there, a wide grin on his face watching Caitlin freak out over a little game. He thought it was kinda cute how competitive she was.

"Wow! Looks like I beat the great Caitlin Snow...for-the fifth-time" Barry rubbing it in that for once in her life she was defeated. "You know what we could play another round-that is, if you feel like losing again" he copied Caitlin just to annoy her a little bit more than she already was. Her eyes met Barry's, that distinctive piercing stare directed at him; similar to that look she gave him when they met after spilling her coffee. She wanted to smack that stupid grin right off his face but she was interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell. "Saved by the bell" she grumbled at him before walked over to open the door.

She was met with Cisco face glowing with a large smile; he was obviously excited for something. "Hey Cait can I come in!?" he asked but let himself in anyway, strolling off towards the living room.

"Yes Cisco please come in!" she told the air sarcastically before shutting the door and meeting the boys at the living room. She arrived with Cisco looking in her direction; eyes wide and hands over his mouth.

"No way! No way! No way!" Cisco spoke through his hands but then removed them from his mouth. "So BARRY beat YOU at OPERATION-! he laughed briefly before continuing "-Out of ALL the games, you LOST at OPERATION!" Cisco carried on teasing her.

"I don't see what the big deal is!? People can't win all the time..." Caitlin hands on her hips and pouted, trying to play it nonchalantly but internally it was bothering her.

"Oh it's not that you lost at any game, it's that you lost at OPERATION! Like the IRONY of everything! A DOCTOR losing in a game that's based on SURGERY. That's just something else!" Cisco couldn't stop laughing; his face was turning red because of it and his eyes we're starting water. Caitlin began biting on her lower lip, her eyebrows slightly diagonal now; Cisco was getting on her nerves.

"It's not that FUNNY okay! The game's ANATOMICALLY INCORRECT! If it we're anatomically correct I would've WON! Caitlin tried to defend herself but Cisco's laughter just continued on and on. "But it wasn't! That's the point!" now holding his stomach and heaving for air. "Oh god! That just made my day!" Cisco finally stopped laughing.

"Are you done!? Did you just come here to make fun off me!?" Caitlin still pouting. "Noooooo, I came here to show you guys this!" Cisco held up the red and yellow flier that read "Central City Fair". "It's tonight, and remember when you (Caitlin) said that we could go anywhere or do anything I wanted to do a few days ago...Yeah I wanna go here".

"Sounds like fun we should go! And we're all not doing anything tonight so why not?" Barry spoke up, thinking it was a good way to spend the night. "How about you Cait?" he looked up at her once again biting her lower lip. Caitlin had only gone to the fair twice in her life; as always she was often busy with her academics when she was younger so it made it hard for her to go out and have fun. Another reason was she had quite the fear of heights so when she did go there most ride we're a no-no for her. But she did make a promise and Caitlin Snow doesn't break promises.

She gave a sigh "I guess it could be fun" sounding to try a little optimistic and wearing a thin-lipped smile on her face; Inside she didn't really want to go but this was for Cisco and like a little brother she couldn't resist saying no to him. "Sweet! I'll drive! This is gonna be so dope!" Cisco cheered, his fist up in the air. "I'll just go get dressed" Caitlin made her way up the stairs and then to her room. Removing her sweat shirt and pants, she put on her violet button up, tucking them into a pair of black high-waisted skinny jeans accompanied by a belt and black boots. Grabbing her bag and jacket she returned to the living room. "Alright, I'm ready! Let's go!". This trio left the apartment and drove to the fair which was located just beside the beach.

*Central City Fair*

"Three adults please" Cisco payed the lady $10 who gave them three blue paper wrist bands in return. "Thank You" Cisco thanked the lady with a bright grin. "Enjoy" she told them as the three went through the gates. The place was packed full of people, there were so many rides, multiple roller coasters, a ferris wheel, a catapult and many more. There was also a lot of food stalls, from candy to ice cream to barbecue to random fried foods, it was like food paradise. Everything was lit up by multicolored LEDs some lights spelled out the names of the rides and some just for decoration. Barry and Cisco weren't as surprised as Caitlin was. They had been to many fairs before and this wasn't any different; whereas Caitlin felt like she was a child again, everything was so colorful and bright.

"I say we start off this night with some corndogs. I'm in need of a snack." Barry said with his generic smile. "I agree" Cisco replied, walking over to the corndog stand and buying three corndogs and sodas for each of them. Barry took a bite his which was covered in ketchup and mustard; the smile on his face told them how satisfied he was. Cisco had a similar reaction enjoying the taste of fair food, Caitlin however wasn't used to this kind of stuff. She felt the urge not to eat it but this didn't go unnoticed by the boys.

"C'mon Cait just try it. I promise it tastes good" Barry trying to convince her. "Yeah just this once! If you don't like it then you can give it to me" Cisco backed him up. Caitlin swallowed a lump in her throat, looking at the fried concoction, dipping it into some ketchup before taking a bite. It actually wasn't bad, in fact it actually tasted good. This was the first time she'd ever had a corndog and it was very pleasant. "Ayyyyyy!" the two guys cheered after Caitlin took a bite.

They decided to walk around the place and finish the food and drinks before engaging in any rides. Caitlin looked at how high everything was which made her hand shake, knowing that at some point tonight she would have to get on at least one of them. Although because she was with the most persistent people she knew she feared that she'll probably have to get on all of them.

"Hey Barry, I know it's a little late but I heard about you and Felicity and I know it sucks but I know you'll find another girl soon" Cisco told Barry as they walked side by side, sipping on their drinks. "I appreciate the support man" Barry's fist out for a fist bump; Cisco completing it. Barry then glanced over to Caitlin a smirk on his face. She could only guess that he was about to mess with Cisco.

"Speaking of girlfriends I've actually been talking to this girl for a little while now." Barry lied to Cisco. "Really? You move on that quick?" Cisco was surprised to think after two years Barry would take more time to move on from Felicity.

"Yeah, her name's Bette" Barry told him nonchalantly which made Cisco choke on his drink a little. Caitlin realized what Barry was trying to do and held in her laugh. "Bette San Souci is her full name. She's in the military; bomb specialist. Beautiful girl; light brown hair almost ginger at a glance, pretty face, those grey eyes and don't even me get started on her body, it is just wow!" Cisco was now coughing, Caitlin still keeping her composure and not bursting into laughter while Barry just smirked watching Cisco. "We actually met each other personally last night before she left and all I gotta say is it got quite...interesting" Barry added. Cisco felt he was about to explode after hearing this from Barry he didn't know what to do.

"That's impossible Bette loves me and she was up all night talking to me on Skype!" he exclaimed, a little rage in his voice. "What did you just say there Bette loves who?" Barry teasing Cisco. Cisco's face went red, it had slipped from his mouth. "I...didn't...say...anything..." Cisco awkwardly tried to play it off but it didn't work. Caitlin couldn't contain herself anymore and just laughed the hardest she had ever laughed in a while. She high-fived Barry causing confusion in Cisco's head. "Wait guys, what's going on?" he felt embarrassed watching his two friends dying of laughter.

"Cisco I'm not actually talking to Bette! I'm was just trying get you to confess you had a girlfriend, but in one of the more funnier ways possible" Barry explained trying to catch a breath after laughing so much.

"But how did you kn...?" Cisco was still confused; how did Barry know he had a girlfriend but then he realized there was only one possible way he could've found out. His eyes squinted looking over towards Caitlin a bright grin on her face.

"You told him didn't you?" Cisco knew Caitlin had something to do with it. "I don't know what you're talking about" a smug expression on her face as she slurped her soda using the straw. "Why didn't you tell me!?" Barry caught his attention again. "I don't know I guess I like to keep my love life private too! But I was gonna tell you eventually though!" Cisco told his good friend his reason.

"Hey don't worry I'm not offended by it. Now how about we get on some rides? Do what we're supposed to be doing here" Barry patted Cisco on his shoulder as they began to walk around again.

"Sounds like a plan! Oh i wanted to ask did you mean all that stuff you said about Bette like the hair, eyes, face, body?" Cisco asked him curiously. "Well I mean she is a pretty lady and I'm proud of you for having her! Good job!" Barry smiled and gave Cisco another fist bump before taking a sip of his drink.

"So how about we begin the run with this one!?" Barry suggested as the three approached the rollercoaster called "The Rocket". Caitlin gulped as her eyed followed the height of the rollercoaster. The name of the contraption didn't help either.

"Let's go! I'm so ready for this!" Cisco said excitedly, the three getting in line. Barry shared the same excitement but the same couldn't be said for Caitlin. The whole time in the line, she watched as the rocket-shaped carts jumped over a gap of the track at high speed, the screams of the passengers on it. She could feel her knees getting weaker and weaker and that she was breathing heavier as they got closer to the platform. She began biting at her lower lip which was usual for her whenever something was bothering her. After a few minutes of waiting Caitlin soon had to face her biggest challenge tonight, getting on her first rollercoaster ride. Her heart beat faster and faster the closer they got to the platform; the train awaited them.

"Hey are you okay?" Barry asked the shaking Caitlin who stood behind him. "Yeah I'm fine just a little nervous. It's my first rollercoaster ride ever" she explained herself nervously. "Oh cool! Not even with Ronnie?" Barry questioned her again. Usually when talking about her dead fiancé she often broke down but now she a little more comfortable when talking about him, especially with Barry who's been helping her.

"No, Ronnie & I never really went to fairs, we usually did other things like scuba diving, hot air balloon rides, walks on the beach. Kinda romantic cliche stuff but I still loved it!" She felt less anxious now, just the feeling of talking to Barry made her so much better. "Huh well I hope you enjoy your first ride cuz we'll be going on more tonight" laughing to himself briefly and Caitlin putting on a weak smile.

The last passengers got off and now it was their turn. Cisco ran wildly towards the platform and into the one of the carts, he was the first out the three of them to get to the ride. Caitlin hesitated to go, people passing her by to get on the ride. It felt like she couldn't move her legs towards the platform. She just wanted to turn back, but then she would've wasted her time waiting. Then a voice called out to her.

"Cait, if it makes you feel any better I'll sit beside you" Barry reaching his hand out, his generic smile on his face. Caitlin nodded, taking his hand and followed Barry to the train, taking the seats in front of Cisco. The safety bars came down as soon as all the participants were aboard. Caitlin sat down controlling her breathing to calm herself down; inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth. She gripped the safety bar tightly as the vehicle began to move, Cisco and the other people on the ride yelled out "Wooo!" as it did.

The rollercoaster slowly made it's way up the tracks. Caitlin tried not to look down from the sides for it would only make her feel worse about her fear of heights. She tightened her grip around the metal bar the higher they got up. Barry glanced over to her, he could see how tensed she was just by how her face looked and how she was gripping the safety bar.

"Here just hold my hand, close your eyes and listen to me okay" Barry told her softly, offering his right hand. Caitlin turned to him an unsure expression on her face. "Trust me" Barry smiled at her reassuringly. Caitlin nodded taking hold of Barry's hand their fingers interlocking, making her blush a little bit. "Just keep looking forward and close your eyes" Barry told her what to do and Caitlin did as he said.

"Okay now just slowly breathe in and out. Try to focus on my voice. Think about good thoughts, happy thoughts and relax. Remember that I'm right here and you are safe in my hands." Caitlin did as he instructed thinking about her family, friends, work, Ronnie and Barry. She could feel her grip on the safety bar loosen and her breathing became more controlled; Barry's method was working.

The cart had been moving this whole time but suddenly it came to a stop. "Alright open your eyes" Barry told Caitlin as the ride stopped moving; it had reached its highest point. She opened her eyes to an astonishing scenery, the fair looked so much better from there. It was breathtaking all of the lights, all of the people, the view of Central City in the background, simply wonderful.

The rollercoaster started to move again, slowly inching it's way over the crest. "Now count to ten with me" Barry gave her another instruction. Once again Caitlin nodded in reply as Barry initiated the count. "1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9..10!" The two counted together and when they reached ten the cart raced down the tracks. At first Caitlin was frightened by the speed of the rollercoaster, her heart raced with fear, but she felt the warmth of Barry's hand with hers, remembering his words. She was safe in his hands.

Taking a deep breath as they approached the loop, she smiled and cheered "Woooooo!". Her heart now raced with excitement, adrenaline rushed through her veins, she enjoyed the wind blowing past her as the rollercoaster sped through the tracks, going round and round and over and under. She had no fear at that moment as long as she had Barry beside her she felt safe and strong. The ride had taken a minute or two but for her it was the fastest minute ever. The ride halted at the platform and the safety bars raised up. Caitlin looked at Barry who wore a smile on his face

"Wasn't that bad was it?" he asked Caitlin who mirrored his expression "Bad? That was awesome! I can't wait to go on the next one!" Barry laughed at Caitlin's excitement, he was happy she wasn't shaking with fear and anxiety anymore. Caitlin noticed she was still holding his hand and flushed, letting it go. "C'mon then let's get out of here" Barry said as the two brunettes got off the cart meeting Cisco at the platform a grin on his face like a child on Christmas Eve.

"Yooooo that was sooooo dope! I swear that ride never gets old! Oh and how was your first rollercoaster ride EVER!?" Cisco gave Barry and Caitlin a high five. "It was great, more pleasant than what I expected!" Caitlin replied. "So where to next?" Barry asked Cisco who began to think, stroking his chin as if he had a beard as they left the platform. Caitlin looked around and spotted a rollercoaster she thought would be interesting. Turning Barry and Cisco "How about "The Temple Raider" over there?" she suggested. The two guys leaned their heads finding the medium sized line that queued just in front of the attraction. "Sure, let's go!" Barry and Cisco approved, the three making their way to the queue and took their places in it.

Standing in line Caitlin couldn't help to ask Barry about the holding hands thing he did during their ride on "The Rocket". "So what was that on the rollercoaster?" Caitlin caught Barry's attention with the question. "What was what?" Barry raised his eyebrow in curiosity. "What you said and how you held my hand" she explained. "That? That was just something I learned from my mom. When I was younger whenever I was scared of doing something for the first team she held my hand and told me those words. It gave me confidence and I hope it did to you to" his lips arched to a smile. "Trust me it did, thank you" she briefly hugged Barry. A couple of minutes later they reached the front of the line "Alright guys here we go!" Cisco exclaimed excitement and enthusiasm obvious in his voice..

 _*Two hours later*_

The three had got on all the rollercoasters and attractions at the fair. They walked together laughing at the selfies they took while they were on the Ferris wheel. Cisco held a bag of goodies and souvenirs from the fair, Caitlin carried two stuffed toys; a snowflake and a puppy which were won by Barry and Cisco from a game stand, Barry held his phone out swiping through the selfies they took. All of them held a drink in their other hand.

"Man I love the fair! Tonight was super fun!" Cisco was so pleased about that they were able to go to the fair that night.

"Cisco anything we do together is "super fun"" Barry told him in an uplifted tone. "That is also true" Cisco agreed with the him. "So Cait how did you find the fair?" Barry and Cisco turned their attention to the brunette. "I really enjoyed it! It's different from what we usually do and I got to ride on a bunch of rollercoasters with you guys. Plus I got over my fear of heights so that's a really good thing!" Caitlin told her two best friends. "Here's to Caitlin getting over her fear of heights!?" Cisco rose his drink for a cheers. "Cheers!" Barry and Caitlin both rose their drinks before the three of them all slurped from the straw all in sync.

"Hey guys!" a familiar voice called out in front of them. Barry's smile quickly fading into a blank expression, Caitlin and Cisco a little bit surprised. Felicity stood there a thin-lipped smile on her face. She then goes and hugs Caitlin and Cisco and waves her hand to Barry. There was still this awkward tension between them.

"How are you guys?" Felicity asked in that friendly voice she always had. Barry couldn't answer so Caitlin stepped forward and decided to speak for him. "We're doing great actually. We just finished riding all the attractions!" Caitlin replied kindly.

"There you are, here I got you a soda" Oliver Queen entered the scene putting his arm around Felicity. Barry felt like his heart was being tied to a knot, but he pushed through the pain, a weak smile on his face "It's good to see you again Oliver" his hand came out to shake Oliver's. "Nice to see you too Barry" a small smile on Oliver's face appeared. Cisco giggled briefly and under his breath whispers "This is awkward" as he sipped more of his drink.

"So you must be Caitlin and Cisco? Felicity has told me a lot about you guys." he leaned over to shake their hands. "Dr. Caitlin Snow" Caitlin shook the blondes hand, "Cisco Ramon; I don't have a title" Cisco cracked a joke shaking his hand. "We actually just arrived from Starling City and do you guys wanna come around the fair with us?" Oliver asked the three politely. Caitlin moved her mouth about to answer but Barry cut her off "We would've loved to but we were actually headed home.".

"Ah I see, well you guys have a safe trip home." Oliver and Felicity said goodbye to the three. "Have fun you two!" Caitlin told them as they walked away. "Call me sometime!" Felicity replied to her waving her hand.

They reached Cisco's car and got in, making their way back to Caitlin's house. The drive back was silent, there this weird atmosphere around them that was just unusual. Barry stayed silent in a pensive mood, Cisco focused on the road and Caitlin occasionally took glances at Barry to see if he was okay. They arrived at Caitlin's apartment dropping Barry and Caitlin off. Barry had decided to take the bus home so it was less hassle for Cisco to get home.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow! Goodnight!" Cisco drove off leaving Barry and Caitlin. Barry escorted Caitlin to her door, he hasn't spoken a lot since he saw Felicity again.

"Hey are you okay?" Caitlin concerned about Barry's emotional state. She knew that Barry hasn't really moved on from Felicity and seeing her again would've hurt him inside.

"Yeah I'm fine, it's just seeing Felicity again brought back some painful memories, but I'll be okay. Gotta keep moving on with life" Barry a reassuring smile on his face. He knew he had all the help he could ever need right there in front of him. Caitlin a warm smile on her face, wrapped her arms around him. Holding the hug for a few seconds she pulls away "I thought you could use a hug" she told him. "I did. Thanks. Goodnight Caitlin" he replied happily. "Goodnight Barry" she said farewell, both shared a smile between them before she got in and closed her door once again. On the bus home Barry noticed that when he saw Felicity he didn't feel hurt as much as he expected, he was obviously making progress and it was all thanks to Caitlin. An image of her popped in his head and that put another smile on his face. He didn't know what it was about Caitlin but he felt so comfortable around her.

End of Chapter 10

 ** _A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this one! As always leave a review of what y'all thought of it! I loved all the reviews last chapter & I'm glad you're all liking the story :) Until next time I'll cya!_**


	11. Chapter 11: Time For Something New

_**A/N: Hi guys! So here's Ch11, it 's gonna bring in some S2 characters, who will be here for a chapter or two. You can probably guess who xD. Anyway hope you enjoy!**_

Two weeks had passed since the night of the fair. Since then Barry and Caitlin have continuously hung out together inside her apartment and outside her apartment. Caitlin had let go of Ronnie in that time; finally getting past "Step 2". She realized it was time to enjoy her single life once again and in the process find someone new, but she already had one in mind. The question was would this person be able to fall for her. The more they hung out the more her feelings became deeper for Barry Allen. Barry was still in progress of moving on from Felicity, but he was doing really well, 2 years of love and dedication was hard to get over but he knew he needed to keep moving forward. He hoped to get over "Step 2" soon, possibly sooner than he expected...

 _*Barry - The Precinct, 9:30am*_

He arrived at the precinct, stepping out of the taxi paying then thanking the driver as he did. The precinct was busy as usual, officers on the phone prepped for emergencies, officers going up and down the stairs, Singh eating a hamburger in his office, it was a sight he's gotten used to the past couple of years there. He went up to the lab to find it open. A little suspicious he peeked his head around the door before entering only to find Patty Spivot, the new lab assistant at CCPD inside using the computer.

"Hey Patty! What are you doing here?" he set his stuff done on one of the desks and approached her. "Oh Barry hi! Uhh I was just using the computer for an analysis that Singh wanted for the Nimbus case, the one in my lab broke so I hope you don't mind..." she stood up from the seat explaining herself, feeling slightly uncomfortable because she used his lab without his permission.

"Alright I don't mind, just if ever do again just text me okay." he took out his notepad from his shoulder bag and wrote down his number giving it to the blonde lab assistant, giving a small smile. He had met Patty, the day Felicity and him broke up; he was assigned to show her around the precinct since Eddie requested a leave for that day. She was quite an interesting person, like they both worked in the CSI, so she had pretty similar interests with regard to work and science and she looked cute if he were to be honest, Barry thought as he examined the blonde scientist who stood in front of him. "Thanks, I'll make sure I do next time" smiling back at him as she takes the note and begins to tap the numbers into her phone saving Barry's number.

Barry's phone suddenly vibrated; fishing it from his pocket. It was Joe, there was a new case and they needed him ASAP. "Hey I gotta run, you can use the computer, don't worry about that. I'll cya I guess." he rushed to get out of the precinct but stopped at the metal door of his lab briefly turning around. "How about some coffee later?" he asked Patty, he had suddenly taken an interest in her. "Ummm, sure why not" she replied to Barry shrugging her shoulders. "Cool. I'll text you the time later!" he ran downstairs to the exit where he luckily caught a taxi to the crime scene.

 _"Hey guys lunch later? Big Belly Burger, 5th Street"_ Barry texted his two best friends as he sat waiting to arrive at the destination that Joe had sent him.

 _"Sounds good! I'll be there"_ Caitlin simply replied a few minutes after he had sent his texts. Caitlin and him had gotten very close ever since the breakup. They had become each other's support. He remembers that one time they walking in the park when an old woman handed Caitlin a rose and smiled at both of them before telling them "You two are quite the pair! Take care of her!" and then going past them. All they could do was laugh, to think that they would become a couple? Crazy right? Barry's lips arched as he thought about it, shaking his head.

 _"BURGERS YASSSS! So down! I'll see ya later man!"_ Cisco confirmed shortly after he received C _aitlin's text. "Awesome! See y'all later!"_ Barry sent another text to both of them before putting his phone back into his pocket. Ten minutes passed and he finally arrived at the scene, the yellow tape present as usual. Barry proceeded to slide his gloves onto his hands "Time to get to work" he told himself crossing the yellow police tape.

 _*Caitlin - Star Labs, 12:03pm*_

"What do you mean you left without me!?" she yelled angrily at Cisco through her phone.

"Cait let me explain! It's just took so long to get ready for lunch, I got really hungry, my stomach started hurting and one thing lead to another and I was in my car, driving. It's was like I had no control!" Cisco made the excuse but truth be told he totally just forgot about bringing her with him for lunch with Barry.

"You know what forget it. I'll see you there" Caitlin sighed and shook her head as she exited the elevator to the lobby.

She walked forward, busy fishing for her car keys in her bag. She didn't notice that there was someone in front of her. She felt the keys with the tips of her fingers "Ahah there you are!" she cheered internally, pulling the keys from her bag a smile on her face, suddenly she knocked into a tall man, causing her to drop her keys. Before she could do anything the man had already bent down and picked them up. Her eyes followed him as he stood back up. He was just as tall as Barry; long wavy blonde hair fell just at his jaw; his jaw was very well defined, a light stubble added to its look. Overall he was quite a handsome man. His clear blue eyes looked into her brown ones and he his closed lips arched.

"I think you dropped this...-" the man's eyes drifted towards her id card which hung from her Star Labs lanyard. "- Dr. Caitlin Snow" his eyes quickly back to hers. His voice was quite clear and deep, one would describe it as "very masculine". He cleared his throat, his hand reached out in front of her. "Jay Garrick, it's very nice to meet you."

Caitlin felt embarrassed, she had knocked into this guy and she still hadn't said sorry. "Hi it's very nice to meet you too! I'm sorry for bumping into you by the way. I'm in quite the hurry." she shook the tall blonde's hand.

"It's okay, accidents happen when we're in a hurry" Jay told her calmly, a bright smile on his face.

"Dr. Snow! It seems that you've met Mr. Garrick, one of our generously donators and supporters." Wells appeared behind her, and explaining who this man was.

Although he didn't look like some kind of patron. She often imagined Star Lab's patrons as people in suits with luxurious jewelry but this guy; this guy looked like an ordinary person. He wore a plain navy blue button up, straight-cut denim jeans, dark brown boat-shoes on his feet and a color matching leather jacket. But who was she to judge, all kinds of people come in different appearances and looks can be deceiving.

"Now if you could please excuse us Dr. Snow for we have business to take care of and enjoy you're lunch break." Wells told her, as he escorted Jay to the elevator.

"Of course" she stepped to the side as the two men pass and disappeared as the steel doors slid shut. Caitlin immediately left the building right after and ran to the parking lot in the back. She started the car and began her journey to Big Belly Burger. She hoped that traffic wasn't too bad due to rush hour.

 _*Big Belly Burger, 12:15pm*_

Barry pushed the glass door open, the iconic smell of burgers and fries filled the fast food joint. He scanned the restaurant and found Cisco sitting at one of the booths already digging into a double cheese burger. Of course he'd be there first, classic Cisco, Barry thought walking to his hungry best friend.

"Slow down, I don't even have my food yet!" he told Cisco, setting his shoulder bag and his jacket down on the corner of the booth and taking a seat.

"Oh hey Barry, sorry I was really starving" Cisco swallowed hard after taking a large bite. He then wiped his mouth with a napkin, making sure there were no stains of mustard or ketchup around his mouth.

"So where's Caitlin?" Barry noticed that she wasn't present; usually Cisco and her would be together whenever they went out for lunch.

"I accidentally left her at the lab. I forgot that we were supposed to come here together, and only realized when I was 5 minutes away from here...Yeaaah she wasn't too happy about it." Both of them laughed at his failure.

"Alright I'm just going to go up and order, I'll be back" Barry stood up from the booth and went to the end of the long queue, thinking of what to get from the large selection of greasy yet delicious meals.

 _*12:21pm*_

Caitlin went inside the restaurant, the appetizing scent of fast food immediately passed through her senses. She was so hungry and it didn't help that there was traffic on the way there. She quickly walked forward to join the long queue of workers, moms and dads and teenagers; all probably on their lunch break like her. Looking through the line of people, she spots none other than Barry Allen second in line. Sighing in relief, knowing she now didn't have to wait so long, she jogs towards him, joining his side, nonchalantly passing by those in the queue.

"Hey" she greeted the tall brunette who had his arms folded and didn't notice she was there.

"Oh hey! When did you get here? I didn't even see you go beside me" Barry was surprised by Caitlin sudden appearance.

"Just like a minute ago; there was traffic at 4th street, so yeah. Where's Cisco by the way" she asked as she was looking for her wallet inside her bag.

"Over there" Barry pointed him out slightly moving his head to the right. Caitlin took a second to find him and her eyes met his. Cisco nervously grinning, bit the straw of his drink which was in his hand. Caitlin squinted her eyes at him, a piercing stare; she was still a little bit annoyed that she had left her at Star Labs and she knew that he was probably lying with that excuse he gave her.

"So whatcha wanna get? I'm getting a bacon double cheese burger meal." Barry caught her attention.

"Ummm, I'll get a chicken sandwich meal." She carried on fishing for her wallet, which she couldn't seem to find.

"What drink?" Barry asked to complete her order

"I'll get an orange juice" she looked up at him briefly before she continued her search.

"Cool. You know what? Stop that" Barry took notice of her digging through her bag.

"Stop what?" she once again looked up at him, her right hand rummaging through the contents of her bag.

"Look, I got this one" Barry pulled out a twenty dollar bill from his pocket.

"No. You're not paying for me, besides I found my wallet" she felt a sense of accomplishment that she finally had it in her hands.

"But I insist. Please Caitlin, let me do this" Barry gave her a warm smile; a smile she couldn't resist and one that made her smile.

"Fine, but next time I'm paying for you." She laughed lightly as the person in front of them received their order.

The two stepped took their place, the jolly employee taking their order. After three minutes their order had been completed, the employee happily handing them the black plastic tray of food. They walked back to Cisco who in that time they had spent in the line, finished his meal already; in fact he had already already refilled his drink twice in that duration of time.

Caitlin sat down beside Cisco while Barry sat on the other side of the booth. Cisco reached out for a frie from Caitlin's meal but she quickly slapped his hand away.

"No! My fries!" she pouted at him as she eat one.

"Awww! Please!" Cisco pleaded with her but she just shunned him.

"That's what you get for forgetting about me earlier" she explained why she wouldn't give him a fry.

"Fine then!" his eyes go to Barry and transform into puppy eyes. "Please Barry" he pleaded with Barry this time. Barry just smirked and shook his head "Sorry man but you've already eaten. No extra fries" he told the now frowning latino.

"You guys suck; you know that right" he crossed his arms pouting.

"Well maybe you shouldn't have left the doctor at work" Barry said taking a bite of his burger.

"Hunger is a very powerful thing" Cisco replied with a serious tone, which just made the two brunettes laugh. "You know what I'm just gonna go use the bathroom! You two can enjoy your favoritism" Cisco joked leaving the booth, Barry and Caitlin laughed and shook their heads.

"So how's your day so far?" Caitlin asked Barry as she drank some of her orange juice.

"It's been good excluding the fact that I had to analyze a body that was electrically fried to death, for three hours. DNA tests, facial recreation, all that stuff." Barry opened the ketchup packet for his fries. "How about you? How's "Step 3" been?" Barry added.

"My day has gone smoothly so far, nothing really out of the ordinary; you know just testing, research, documenting, just an average day. Oh but I did bump into this guy, one of the donators for Star Labs, Jay Garrick." Caitlin told him about her day so far.

"What does he look like?" Barry asked eating his burger

"Uhhh as tall as you, wavy blonde hair, blue eyes, handsome and very casual" Caitlin described Jay in a couple of words.

"Looks like the search for someone new had been going well." he teased Caitlin.

"Well you told me to describe him! That's what he looked like!" Caitlin raised her voice giggling at the same time.

"It shouldn't be hard to find someone new though, for you anyway. I mean 1. you're smart 2. you're pretty 3. you're pretty freaking awesome to be around." Barry complimented Caitlin making her blush. It was these type of things that Barry said that really made her feel like her heart in a knot and her stomach in a whirl even though he wasn't being romantic about it, just friendly compliments.

"Thanks Barry, for the encouragement. How about you? Anything on your love life?" It was Caitlin's turn to ask him.

"I don't feel pain for Felicity now, I don't even have her in my dreams anymore. Doe's that mean I'm past "Step 2"? Actually I invited Patty for coffee later. I don't know if it's a date or just coffee but I'll see how it goes." Barry told her about his appointment with Patty later.

"Patty as in new lab assistant Patty?" Caitlin raised her eyebrow.

"Yeah. I don't know there's just something about her that interested me but I want to find out what it is." Barry gave her a reason for asking Patty for coffee.

"Well that's great!" Caitlin faked a smile. Once again Barry had a new conquest. It was such perfect timing too; the moment she was trying to look for someone new, Barry would become unavailable again. She showed happiness for him on the outside but inside she was saddened.

Cisco came back from the bathroom a few minutes later. The three talked for the rest of their lunch break eventually having to leave to go back to work. While Caitlin drove back to Star Labs, Cisco closely followed behind her. She couldn't help to think that maybe destiny just didn't want her and Barry to be together, maybe she was just wasting her time pining for him, that maybe they weren't meant to be. She thought that possibly it was time to stop looking for Barry and look for someone else. Caitlin sighed deciding to stop hoping for Barry to change the way he saw her and try and find someone who actually had feelings for her. The scientist and the engineer arrived back at work, they walked side by side. They stood in front of the elevator waiting for the _*ting*_ and the doors to slide open. Once it did, Caitlin had another encounter with Jay, who asked her if she wanted to have dinner that night. Caitlin thought she was never really one to believe in destiny but maybe it was telling her that this was her "someone", the one that would make her feel special again. "Sure" she accepted the offer giving him her phone number. Cisco an her rode the elevator, she smiled and in her mind she thought, it was time for something new.

 _*Barry - The Precinct - 7:30pm*_

It was at the end of the day Barry had just finished cleaning up his lab, before leaving. He remembered that he forgot to text Patty the time to get coffee that night and so he rushed to her lab hoping she was still there and he was in luck.

"Hey!" Barry entered her lab, which practically looked the same as his except a different set up.

"Hey Barry!" She greeted him as she put her shoulder bag on.

"Coffee? Tonight? Jitters?" Barry asked her using only three words.

"Yes" she answered him and walked along side him to the cafe.

 _*Jitters*_

"So where are you from? I know you transferred from another police department." Barry curious about Patty. He wanted to know more about her.

"Coast City Police Department so you could say I moved from the CCPD to the CCPD-" Patty cracked a joke which made both of them laugh. "-but in all seriousness though, I saw a really good pay here at Central City, plus I heard it was a really nice city with very kind people so I decided to work here" she explained the reason for her transfer. "I presume you're from here?" she took a sip of her coffee.

"Born and partially raised here. I grew up here until I was 10 which was when my mom passed. After that my dad and I moved to Starling City. I lived there for 8 years before leaving to go to college here." Barry briefly told her about his life story.

"Cool. How did end up doing forensics?" She questioned him

"Well like I said when I was 10 my mom passed. That was because she was murdered. Since then I wanted to put criminals behind bars, but through the way I knew well which is science." He replied with his reason. "How about you?" He asked her what her reason was.

"Ever since I was young I always wanted to be a detective but I loved science to much to let it go, so I decided to look for a job that kinda did both and here I am!" She told him her reason with a smile.

"Huh that's sounds pretty similar to mine." Barry smirked as he drank his coffee.

"Indeed it does Mr. Allen" Patty giggled at the similarity of their reason.

That night Barry and Patty got to know each other more. They found out how they had so much in common, in terms of science, food or hobbies. He enjoyed her company and loved how they would both tell corny scientific jokes to each other and how they were both science geeks. After their coffee at Jitters Barry of course walked her home.

"Was this a date?" Patty turned to ask Barry who was beside her.

"Uh I guess. If it was did you have a good time?" Barry asked hoping she'd say yes.

"Yeah I did, surprisingly. Who knew talking to a co-worker while drinking some coffee would be so interesting!? Maybe we should do that some more well except the coffee bit" Patty stopped as they reached her apartment.

"I agree we should" Barry grinned at her.

"Then I guess it's settled! This was our first date! Goodnight!" Patty placed a quick kiss on his cheek, making him flush.

"Goodnight" he stuttered as she jogged to her door and disappeared into her apartment.

Barry walked home a cheeky smile remained on his face. "It looks like I've found someone new!" Barry thought, pulling his phone out from his pocket and messaging Caitlin

 _"First date = success :)"_

Caitlin was always the first person he'd talk about his love life with, he'd even put her over Iris, who was his best friend since forever. He just felt more relieved when he's with Caitlin, like he could tell her anything.

 _"That's awesome! Busy so can't talk right now"_ Caitlin replied just two minutes later. Barry didn't message back knowing if she was busy she wouldn't want to be disturbed. And Caitlin was busy- that is busy getting ready to go on a date...

 _*Caitlin - Caitlin's Bedroom - 8:00pm*_

Caitlin placed her phone down, scratching her head. She had received a text from Jay earlier telling her to go to Vincenzo's; a local fancy Italian restaurant downtown. Caitlin couldn't decide what to wear, not that she wasn't good with styling herself it's just she hasn't gone on a date for a long time.

She constantly switched from dress to dress trying to find the right one. After going through six dresses, she finally concluded with a midnight blue pencil dress paired with black heels and some jewelry that she barely used. Refreshing her make up and grabbing her purse and her jacket, she left her apartment to meet with Jay.

She arrived at the restaurant, just looking through the window she could see the different standard of people inside from the ones outside. Every man inside were practically in suits and the ladies in dresses. She pushed the door open a bell ringing notifying the usher of her presence.

"Welcome to Vincenzo's! Do you have any dinner reservations madam?" The pleasant usher asked her.

"Yes. Dinner reservation for two, Mr. Jay Garrick." Caitlin politely replied with a smile.

"Perfect, just a second" the usher tapped on the tablet in front of him. "Please follow me" The usher told her as she was escorted to a well arranged table with a "reserved" label on it. Everything looked so elegant from the pure white tablecloths, to the multiple utensils lined up, but that's what she expected coming from a place like this.

"Here we are, Mr. Garrick will be here soon. One of our waiters will assist you shortly." The usher leaves to go back to his original position.

Caitlin sat patiently observing the customers that were eating there and interior design of the restaurant as she waited for Jay to arrive. The olive green walls we're really effectively complimented with the cream accents and the large windows gave a nice view of the outside. A waiter came shortly after the usher left and she ended up ordering a water. Five minutes later a blonde haired man arrived in a well-fitted suit; it was Jay. He made his way to the table, taking his seat at the other side of the table. He looked rather dashing Caitlin thought as he approached.

"Apologies for being late for this. There was traffic just a few blocks down. I hope you didn't have to wait too long." Jay said sorry for arriving late.

"Don't worry I just arrived five minutes ago so you're fine." She silently laughed.

"Sorry I'm usually late, I've never been good with time. My mother always told me even though I was always late, I would always make up for it with speed." He smiled brightly at Caitlin as he told her. "You look very beautiful. That dress and that color suits you very well" he complimented smiling at Caitlin; she thanked him in return. "So I'm guessing you are starving? Let's have a look at the menu shall we? Jay asked her.

"We shall" Caitlin smiled as both of them took the menu from the table and scanned through it, searching for something good to eat. Everything seemed so delicious just based on the descriptions given below each entree. Ronnie used to claim he liked loved Italian food but only really ate pizza. She laughed quietly to herself as she remembered a funny memory of him. Jay looked above his menu taking a glance at Caitlin and asking.

"Do you like Italian food?" Jay was curious to know more about this woman and needed another conversation starter.

"Yes it's actually one of my favorite cuisines! So I was ecstatic when I found out you were bringing me here. I've always wanted to come here but I never had enough money to." She replied her eyes still focused on the menu.

"Well I'm glad that I was able to give you that opportunity" He smiled behind the menu.

After a few minutes of deciding, they finalized their order and gave it to the waiter. In the time that they waited for and ate their food, they talked about their interests in science, medical development, why Jay wanted to fund and support Star Labs, how did they get to that point in their lives and funny stories of past experiences. Caitlin really enjoyed talking to him, she felt very familiar and relaxed talking to him. He reminded her of someone, but she didn't want to think that, she wanted to focus on meeting someone new, meeting Jay.

 _*10:00pm*_

"I hope you enjoyed tonight." Caitlin and Jay walked to her car. Caitlin pressed the button on her remote, making the signal lights on the car blink and the locks to unlock. Jay like the gentleman he was opened the door for her, helping her in.

"I did. Thank you" Caitlin a warm smile on her face as she got into her vehicle.

"Maybe we could do this again sometime?" Jay politely asked the brunette, turning the car's ignition on.

"Yes, yes we can" Caitlin agreed with him.

"Goodnight Dr. Snow" Jay stood back from the car giving it space.

"Goodnight Jay and please call me Caitlin" She waved goodbye as she pulled out of the parking space, proceeding to drive home. Like Barry she had this smile on her face that couldn't be wiped off. She was happy that she found someone. For her it was the start of something new. When she got home she sent a text to Barry, copying his own.

 _"First Date = Success :)"_

Barry who was siting on his couch watching Netflix and feeding on a large bag of barbecue flavored Lays, received the text instantly. His lips arched as he read it, texting back.

 _"Yay for both of us! *virtual high five!* Goodnight Cait"_

Caitlin just giggled as she read his message.

 _"Goodnight Barry"_ texting him back. For her, this goodnight to Barry wasn't just a message. That night she put her feelings for Barry to sleep, leaving it dormant; not knowing when they would return once again or would they ever awaken. Now she was to concentrate on her new life, one that included Jay Garrick.

End of Chapter 11

 _ **A/N: Alright I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Leave a review of your thoughts, I love feedback from you guys! Barry and Caitlin have both found someone new but don't fret they will be instrumental for snowbarry in the story. Until next time I'll cya!**_


	12. Chapter 12: Double Date

_**A/N: The next chapter has arrived! Thanks for all the feedback last chapter; you guys are all awesome! I'm glad that you're having a good time reading this because I have a good time writing it (well typing it on my phone) I'd like to address some questions from the reviews last chapter! (If you want you can just skip this and read on ahead. I hope you like it!) :**_

 **Flash frost -** Hi! It's close to S2 so why not right!? Thank you, I'm super glad you are liking the story so far and it's development :). As for your question you'll see a little bit in this chapter and probably in the next few. The next chapter will probably be a short time skip to a few days nearing a certain event during the year. Thanks for reading & reviewing

 **Raquel -** Barry didn't get jealous from the text that Caitlin sent because at that time he was really just thinking about Patty. His feelings for her hadn't emerged yet at that time. Thanks for reading & reviewing!

 **Guest** \- I apologize that you have to wait! but I hope it will be worth while. Things are about to get interesting with Barry :) Thanks for reading  & reviewing!

 **snowb4rry01** \- S2 is getting closer so I got the idea of putting them in! Well here's the update now! I hope the wait wasn't too long :) Thanks for reading  & reviewing!

 _ **Now let's get to the story shall we!**_

It's been another two weeks since Barry and Caitlin were dating new people. Both of them enjoying their time with these people. Barry and Patty have been getting along really well, finding even more similarities about each other. Caitlin was becoming more and more interested with Jay. She began to appreciate how polite he was and how he was always a gentleman, these becoming her favorite things about him. Barry had helped her open up to people easier instead of being so cold so when she was getting to know Jay, she always seemed so happy. Despite having two new people in their lives Barry and Caitlin were still able to hang out but not as much as they wanted to, as HE wanted to specifically.

From the time they had found new significant others,Barry could barely go to visit Caitlin, hang out or even talked to her, and it wasn't because of Patty. Caitlin was always either occupied at work or with Jay; not that there was anything wrong with that, he was happy for her. But it was just that he missed her, having her around, having someone to talk to freely and relaxed; someone who understood him. To be honest whenever he couldn't contact her on her phone or when he called Cisco to ask what was Caitlin up to and finding out she couldn't talk from him made him feel a sense of dismay. A feeling that was only masked by the joy he experienced whenever he was with Patty but yet this joy still wasn't enough. It didn't fill the void that Caitlin did for Barry. He simply missed his friend but although he saw her as a friend, did he really feel like he wanted her to be his friend or something more. This was something Barry hadn't realized but sooner or later he will...

 _*Caitlin's Apartment, 8:30pm*_

"Thanks for having me over. I've really missed this" Barry dipped a chip into the cheese sauce and ate it, before moving one of his chess pieces.

"Yeah me too. I've missed hanging out with you. I've been so busy with work and Jay, I barely had anytime; I'm sorry" Caitlin apologized as she advanced a chess piece of her own.

"Cait, you don't have say sorry; your doing what makes you happy" Barry smiled at her reassuringly. Barry moved another one of his pieces and said "Check".

"Ah good move Mr. Allen but I think you've made a mistake" Caitlin made her move and took one of Barry's pieces and smugly told him "Check" smirking.

"Are you sure? Because I think you're the one whose made a mistake!" Barry confidently moved one of his remaining chess pieces surrounding Caitlin's king. "Check. Mate" Barry crossed his arms, leaning back on his chair, a wide smirk on his face.

"What!? How'd!? Ughh Oh my god! How could I be so careless" Caitlin face palmed. She had lost to Barry at chess, the ONLY game she took pride in. She sighed accepting her defeat. She extended her arm, her hand out congratulating him.

"Good game!" Barry shook her hand pridefully. "So it's getting late, how about some dinner?" He stretched his arms and let own a small yawn.

"Yeah sure. But I don't think I've got anything in my fridge so do you mind if we order some Thai food for delivery?" Caitlin asked.

"I don't mind, I'll wait" Barry responded, placing his hands at the nape of his neck.

"I'll be right back then" Caitlin smiled and stood up grabbing her phone and going to the kitchen to make the call.

Barry relaxed on his seat slightly slouching when his phone vibrated. Quickly sitting up, he already knew who it was. Taking his phone out of his pocket and sliding the new message logo on the screen.

 _"Hey Barry, I just wanted to know if we're still good for our movie date tomorrow?"_ Barry read the text from Patty.

 _"Yeah, we're still good. Do you have a movie in mind? I can buy some tickets online."_ He texted back immediately.

 _"We can just decide when we go there. It's probably not too crowded at the cinema tomorrow."_ She replied a few seconds later.

 _"Alright. So how's your night been? Have you eaten dinner yet?"_ He asked her.

" _You know just nothing out of the ordinary; bed, tv, Netflix and yes I did just an hour ago. I cooked some chicken alfredo."_ She described her night.

 _"Sounds delicious. I've haven't eaten yet; I'm at my Caitlin's place and we're ordering Thai food."_ He informed her.

 _"That reminds me when will I be able to meet her? You promised me on our last date you'd introduce me to her. My notepad is waiting for her autograph!"_ She demanded jokingly.

 _"Who knows maybe you'll get to see her tomorrow ;)"_ Barry laughed to himself reading Patty's text.

 _"Ugh you're such a tease. Anyways I gotta go watch the whole fifth season of The Walking Dead tonight so I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight :)"_ She sent her final text to him.

 _"Goodnight! Enjoy your tv show! :)"_ He responded putting his phone back into his pocket.

Caitlin returned from the kitchen and sat back down on her chair. She told Barry that the food would be there in 20 minutes as she stretched her arms. Barry nodded his head and decided to ask her about Jay. Other than the day she met him, she hadn't really talked about him and Barry was curious.

"So Jay, what's he like?" Barry questioned Caitlin on the guy she was dating.

"He's...a gentleman first and foremost, kind, caring, serious, not very punctual but he's very organized surprisingly. He...makes me feel special again." She took a few noticeable pauses as he did describe him but everything she said was true; he did make her feel loved again just like Ronnie did, although she was still unsure if she felt the same way about him. She hid her feelings from Barry with a convincing smile.

"Sounds like a nice guy! Maybe I could meet him someday? Actually I have an idea! Are you and Jay free tomorrow after work!?" Barry asked enthusiastically.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure Jay and I don't have any plans. Why?" Caitlin replied with her eyebrow raised.

"Well, Patty and I were going on a movie date after work tomorrow and I kinda promised her that she'd be able to meet you and get your autograph one of these days...-" Barry was explaining his idea, when Caitlin suddenly cut him off.

"You did what!? Look Barry you can't just use our friendship as a tool for getting girls!" She furrowed her eyebrows, slightly raising her voice. Barry was caught off-guard.

"I didn't! She just accidentally saw a photo of us and Cisco on my phone once and she just constantly barraged me with requests to meet you. A person could only take so much Cait so I just promised her!" Barry pleaded with the doctor who was slightly annoyed.

"I'm sorry. Please continue." Caitlin sighed and calmed down. She understood how Barry felt, I mean she had Cisco to deal with for many years.

"- Anyway like I said I promised her an autograph from you, so maybe we could have a double date. I get to meet Jay, Patty gets to meet you! And we get to hang out too!" Barry tried to make his offer convincing.

Caitlin though about it; it wasn't a bad plan, not at all, it was like killing two birds with one stone.

"Please Caitlin, do me this favor" Barry looked her in the eye with his green puppy eyes and an irresistible smile. That smile and those eyes got her to do anything for him.

"Okay, I'll see what Jay says and I'll get back to you." She said a warm smile on her face.

"Awesome!" Barry cheered.

Caitlin went back to the kitchen to confirm with Jay, who agreed to Barry's proposal. The food arrived a couple of minutes later. Barry insisted to pay but Caitlin ended up paying for everything. She said she wanted to repay him for buying her lunch the other day. The two enjoyed their spicy yet delicious dinner, spending some quality time together as friends.

*The next day - Cinema, 7:45pm*

"So are you ready?" Barry and Patty stood in front of the movie theatre, waiting for the other couple to arrive for the double date.

"Yes! I've been waiting for this moment since I got to Central City! Meeting a scientist from the greatest facility in the world, even better a top ranking scientist!" Patty sounded so excited and her giddiness made Barry smile.

A black BMW M4 parked just across the street from the cinema, two people emerging from the expensive coupe. One with wavy blonde hair in a leather jacket and of course Caitlin, her hair fell down to her shoulders, curled at the ends. She wore a black button up tucked into white skinny jeans and black boots. It was such a casual outfit but Barry's face just suddenly lit up with a grin when he saw his friend get out of the car. Patty clapped her hands at the sight of the Star Labs scientist.

The blonde and brunette walked together side by side approaching the ones in front of the cinema. Caitlin gave Barry a friendly hug, greeting each other.

"So you must be Jay." Barry and Caitlin pulled away from each other, Barry put his hand forward for Jay to shake.

"Yes, Jay Garrick, it's good to finally meet you, Mr. Allen." Jay said formally shaking his hand.

"Good to meet you too. You can just call me Barry." A thin lipped smile on his face as he shook Jay's hand; Jay mirrored the expression.

"And you must be Patty! It's really nice to meet you." Caitlin gave her quick hug.

"It's nice to meet you too. I've been waiting for the moment when I'd actually get to meet a scientist from the greatest science institute in the whole world! And the fact that it was you who I got meet...it's really an honour" Patty kept her excitement at bay remaining calm yet joyful.

"Thank you! But I'm not really all that." Caitlin was flattered knowing that someone was a fan of hers, a wide smile appearing on her face.

"Please your thesis paper on the hidden potentials of the human brain was simply amazing." Patty complimented Caitlin.

"Sorry to interrupt but I think we should go get our tickets, movie starts in 10 minutes" Barry and Jay walked up to their dates who were talking to each other.

"Actually we should. Don't want to be late! What movie are we watching again?" Caitlin asked Barry as she went around taking Jay's arm.

"Oh we're going to see "Forward Unto Dawn". It's a zombie movie. Ratings have said that it's a top notch film." Barry replied.

"Yeah okay let's go" Patty said as she took Barry by the arm, escorting themselves into the cinema.

Once they acquired the tickets, they bought some snacks and headed to the designated screen to watch the movie. The four sat together in a row, Barry and Caitlin ended up having to sit together in the two middle seats; Patty and Jay taking the ones beside them, Patty to Barry's right and Jay to Caitlin's left. Barry found himself putting his arm over Patty's shoulder during the film but he couldn't help but take short glances over the Caitlin and Jay doing the same thing. He sometimes felt some pinching sensation inside of him at the sight of it but he often ignored it and continued watching the movie. Caitlin ignored how sweet Barry and Patty were during the movie. She had to forget about Barry and focus on the one to her left. She leaned her head against Jay's shoulder as he put his arm around hers. At that moment she didn't think about Barry, her attention was on Jay and the zombie movie.

 _*After the movie*_

"Normal movie scale, I'd give it a 6 or a 7 but zombie movie scale I'd give it a 8 or 8 and a half." Barry judged the movie they had just watched.

"There's a zombie movie scale?" Patty giggled at Barry's silliness.

Caitlin observed them from behind and smiled at their cuteness, there was a remnant pain inside of her that hurt as she watched them but she tried her best to ignore it. She walked with Jay who stayed silent most of the time. He wasn't really much of a talkative guy but he knew how to blend in and socialize when needed to. Barry and Patty then turned around to them.

"Do you guys want to have dinner with Patty and I or are you guys going home? We're going to a Japanese grill that I know, if y'all wanna come!" Barry asked the two behind them who looked at each seeing who would answer first.

"Uh sure why not?" Jay answered in behalf of Caitlin, smiling at Barry.

"Okay let's go! It's just a block away we can walk" Barry told them as the four began to move.

 _*At the Japanese Grill*_

Lights from inside shone through windows illuminating the front of the restaurant; LEDs made the "Teppan Japanese Grill" sign glow in the dark too. As soon as the they entered the establishment, the feint noise of metal bouncing off each other could be heard coming from the dining area. At the counter was an Asian guy with short black hair, he was slightly shorter than Barry probably at 6'0"; he also looked about the same age as him. Barry approached the man and gave him a pound hug.

"Hey how's it going man?" Barry greeted an old friend.

"Nothing much dude how you doin'?" The Asian man replied.

"Same old, same old, you know just CSI stuff." Barry answered.

"Cool so this is group you're having dinner with." The man glanced over Barry's shoulder to look at the three behind him.

"Yeah, hold on let me introduce you to them." Barry stood aside giving the three a better view of the Asian man. "Guys this is Trevor Hamada, he runs this place, he's a friend from college." Barry announced.

"Hey guys how y'all doin'!" Trevor waved his hand at the three saying hi.

"And this is Jay and his date Caitlin and this my date Patty." Barry then introduced his group to Trevor.

"Alright so table for four I guess?" Trevor tapped on the screen in front of him.

"Yup" Barry crossed his arms and smiled.

"Okay come with me guys" Trevor lead them into the dining area.

Passing through Caitlin watched as the multiple teppanyaki chefs, flipped and hit their utensils of each other as they did fancy tricks with the food. She watched one stack rings of onions together, putting some kind of oil inside and lighting it on fire; flames bursting through the hole in the middle imitating lava emerging from the crater of a volcano. The customers at that table applauded in amusement. She was quite impressed too.

Trevor seated the group of four and gave them menus, a waiter then arrived taking their order and a few minutes later the chef had arrived. The chef was a middle aged man, very jolly and cheerful, his english wasn't the best but they could understand him well enough whenever he'd crack jokes as he performed tricks and put on a show for them using the food and the grill. The chef tossed and turned the fried rice, also setting food on fire to cook quickly but for entertainment purposes too; like the onions as Caitlin saw at another table, as well as the steak and chicken they ordered. The performance was definitely amusing leaving the four with smiles on their faces, the food tasted really good too.

When the chef finished, he left their table and the four proceeded to eat and chat. Although they had their dates Barry and Caitlin found themselves talking to each other a lot. Because of this they tried hard to involve both Jay and Patty in their conversations asking them questions about their life and their interests. Caitlin found it surprising how similar Patty was to Barry; she really was perfect for Barry she thought, a hint of disappointment inside her as she smiled. Barry found Jay to be exactly what Caitlin described him to be, probably the reasons why she went for him. Are these the guys she's into? Barry was thinking as he spoke to Jay.

Patty watched Barry the whole night, always taking glances. She liked this guy but she wasn't sure if he did feel the same way about her. Sure he was the one to make the first move two weeks ago but the way he looks at her isn't the same way he looks at Caitlin. She had noticed it through the night, while they were watching the film even while they were eating right now. She sees his eyes drift towards Caitlin's face from time to time, but could she blame him Caitlin was absolutely gorgeous and the two had known each other longer than she did know Barry.

Jay couldn't focus on Barry, he couldn't keep his eyes off the girl beside him; this beautiful brunette, her chocolate brown eyes, her cherry red lips and her snow white flawless skin, how lucky could he have gotten to meet her. She was intelligent, sweet and pretty everything he could ask for but was he the guy she hoped for. That he was unsure of but he was enjoying her company for the time being. That dinner the four learned new things about each other, some exposed and some hidden.

 _*After dinner*_

 _"_ Aye Trev thanks for the dinner man!" Barry partially paid for the bill the other half Jay chipped in.

"No prob man, just call me sometime. Hangout, have a drink or something" Trevor responded handing him the receipt.

"Will do! Thanks again! Goodnight!" Barry gave him a pound hug again before the two couples left the restaurant.

"Well I had an awesome night. I hope you two did to." Barry and Patty turned around to Jay and Caitlin.

"Oh we did, thanks for having us along" Caitlin smiled at the couple.

"Anytime" Barry told her.

"Ummm Caitlin do you mind?" Patty shyly pulled her notepad out with a pen, handing it over to the doctor.

"Ah yes Barry told me about this!" Caitlin took the pen and notepad and signed her signature among the other signatures of famous scientists, she even recognized the autographs of Dr. Wells and Dr. Morgan who were her bosses.

"There you go! I never thought that I'd actually be signing an autograph for someone someday." Caitlin giggled, handing the notepad and pen back to Patty.

"Oh my god thank you so much!" Patty squealed, took her things back and hugged Caitlin.

"You're very welcome" she kindly told her, a bright smile on her face.

"It's getting late we should go. Thanks for having us Barry and again very nice to meet you" Jay spoke up with a thin lipped smile.

"It's always great meeting new people! Especially someone Caitlin over here is dating!" Barry told him mirroring the expression.

"Goodnight guys!" Barry and Patty left arm in arm to grab a taxi.

"Goodnight!" Caitlin and Jay walked back to his car to bring her home.

 _*Barry & Patty - In front Patty's apartment*_

"Tonight was great. Thanks for bringing Caitlin and Jay along; it made it twice as fun." She told Barry as they arrived in front of her apartment.

"You're welcome but, I should be thanking Caitlin for doing me this favor." He flashed her a smile.

"Well goodnight I guess" Patty turned around towards the door.

"Goodnight" Barry said as he was about to turn and go back home, he felt Patty grab his arm pulling him back around to face her. Before he knew it their lips had crashed against each others. It was a few seconds before their lips separated. Patty flushed shyly, Barry a little startled by what just happened

"Thank you, again" Patty told him her lips curving upwards to a smile.

"You're are certainly welcome" Barry grinned as she entered her apartment.

He had kissed Patty Spivot, "wow" Barry couldn't believe it. But for the first time since dating someone, this kiss didn't make him feel the way he usually did when he kissed a girl he liked. Did he really like Patty? Barry shook the thought out of his head, making his way back home to his own apartment.

 _*Caitlin and Jay - In front of Caitlin's apartment*_

"I really appreciate it that you came along tonight. I know it really isn't your thing." Caitlin thanked Jay for being there for the double.

"Oh it's no bother really. It's actually great to meet another one of your good friends." Jay shot a smile at her, as they arrived at the front of her door.

"Thank you for escorting me home." She told him fetching her keys from her bag.

"Anytime" Jay replied standing there his hands behind his back.

"Goodnight!" Caitlin gave him a goodbye kiss on the cheek as she opened the door.

"Goodnight Caitlin" Jay blushed, watching Caitlin close the door shut. At first he was startled but he felt happy. Although it was on the cheek it was proof he was moving forward with her.

Caitlin just smiled to herself as she got prepared to go to bed. She really did have fun last night and seeing Barry happy with someone new made her realize that she should begin to put more effort in her relationship with Jay. Her feelings for Barry may not have been defined as love but they were deep enough to say that she needed to let him go. From that night on she made it clear to herself Barry was just her BEST FRIEND.

End of Chapter 12

 _ **A/N: So what do y'all think? As Caitlin sets Barry free to be with Patty, Barry is starting to have thought and doubts about his feelings for Patty. Leave a review if you want I gladly appreciate feedback as always! I hope you enjoyed and until next time I'll cya! P.S: Trevor Hamada was just a very minor OC. Just thought y'all should know.**_


	13. Chapter 13: Merry Christmas Part 1

**_A/N: Hi guys! So three chapters in a week huh? I hope you've been enjoying them! I won't be able to do something like this again until maybe a couple of weeks when I have some time again. I'm coming back to school after a short holiday and I'll probably try to do one chapter a week. Alright another thing is that the next few chapter are going to be more about Barry and centered around him. So here's ch13, I hope you like it!_**

Days became shorter and night became longer, and before Barry and Caitlin knew it they had been dating Patty and Jay for 2 months. At this point Caitlin had become more comfortable with Jay, to the extent that she would call him her boyfriend and her his girlfriend. Her romantic thoughts and feelings for Barry had vanished like a cloud, leaving Jay the one to fill that void. Barry and Patty had also come to this point of their relationship, becoming boyfriend and girlfriend, but both of them secretly hid internal distress from each other. Barry had been debating whether his feelings for Patty were true and honest or was he just telling himself that because he believed he had moved on to her. Patty was battling the thought of Barry having feelings for Caitlin. They had multiple double dates with Jay and Caitlin after the one with the movies; in all of those Patty observed how Barry's mood just lit up with happiness whenever Caitlin was there, how he unconsciously constantly glances at her (Caitlin) and how he smiles in a way thats different when he sees her compared to how he smiles when he was with Patty. Patty felt like Barry wasn't completely with her and despite how she felt about him; how she loved his upbeat attitude, his sweetness and how he's caring, she knew that one day, she would be the one to get hurt. She knew that the right thing to do was to strike the iron while it was still hot. As much as it pains her to do so; it was time to end her relationship with Barry, because it was for the better, for the both of them...

*Barry - Christmas Eve, 10:00am*

Barry rose from his bed, stretching his arms and yawning. He breathed a breath of not-so-fresh air from his room, relieved that he didn't have a shift today. It was Christmas Eve, one of his favourite times of the year. He loved the aspect of family and friends getting together, bonding and sharing presents. It was also one of his mother's favourite times of the year, which made him miss her more. He missed the warm hugs and kisses as soon as he came down the stairs, the sound of her voice greeting him "Merry Christmas Eve!", the Christmas tree shaped pancakes and the hot cocoa with snowmen shaped marshmallows. It was these times of the year when he liked to remember his mom the most. A soft smile appeared on his face as he reminisced through the memories.

Once he was fully out of bed, he made sure to complete his morning routine, get dressed before heading out to the West household to decorate, which was an annual activity that he took part of ever since he moved back to Central City for college. He put on a usual button up, covered by a navy blue sweater and wrapped himself up with a jacket. At this time of the year, Central City became quite cold in contrast to its hot summers. When he finished his quick breakfast of a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch with milk, he grabbed his plastic bag loaded with gifts, and headed out of his apartment complex where he called for a taxi.

During the taxi ride he had decided to make a few phone calls, inviting Cisco and Caitlin for dinner at Joe's house later. Cisco immediately confirmed that he was going as soon as he heard "dinner and presents" which was as expected from him. Caitlin confirmed too, due to the fact that her parents were far away in Pittsburgh and Jay had left to spend Christmas with his family in Keystone. He had planned to invite Patty but he decided that he would invite her later personally, unfortunately she had a shift this Christmas time. His next phone call was one he was always happy to have. Scrolling through his contacts, he found the one labeled "Dad - Henry Allen" and tapped on the tab to call. The phone rang for a few seconds before he picked up.

"Merry Christmas slugger" his dad greeted him using his old nickname, which made him smile.

"Merry Christmas dad, how are you doing?" Barry answered and asked.

"Nothing much, I'm currently setting up my office a good morning coffee in hand, how about you?" Henry casually told his son, with a jolly tone in his voice.

"I'm on my way to Joe's house to do the decoration thing again, I've got this big bag of presents waiting to be put under the tree." Barry spoke with a similar tone. He loved talking to his father, it was one of the things that really made him happy.

"Look Barry I'm sorry I couldn't be there this Christmas, you know how the system goes, you take one the last year, you don't get one the next." His dad sounded a bit down as he apologized to his son over the phone.

"Dad, it's okay, Starling needs the services of the best doctor and father in the world this year." Barry told his dad to cheer him up, which he did making him laugh a little bit.

"I promise I'll come visit you in a couple of months I'm still trying to get a leave approved." Henry gave Barry his word.

"I look forward to seeing you then. Well dad I've gotta go but before I do, keep an eye out for a package, one might arrive at you doorstep later tonight." Barry said as the taxi stopped in front Joe's house, Barry reaching into his pocket for $15 to pay the driver while keeping on the phone with his dad.

"I will. Goodbye son" Henry told Barry

"Goodbye dad" Barry exited the taxi and grabbed the plastic bag.

He placed his phone into his pocket before walking to Joe's front door which was decorated by a Christmas wreath. He knocked and within a few seconds he heard the sound of footsteps approaching and the twisting of locks. The swung open Joe with his arms open greeted him with a hug.

"Merry Christmas Bar! Come in!" Joe stepped aside for Barry.

"Merry Christmas Joe" he smiled at the man who was like his second father. "So I've got some presents that I need to put under a tree." Barry held up his plastic bag.

"That is if there's a tree to put them under" Joe's head turned towards the living room where the box of the artificial Christmas tree lay on the ground, a half smile on his face.

"Well, it looks like we better get started" Barry shrugged his shoulders and walked into the living room, placing the bag of wrapped gifts on the couch as well as his coat and rolling his sleeves up.

Joe switched the radio on letting the sound of Christmas carols fill the room as they began to unpack the tree and started decorating.

"How's Henry? He's not coming over this year?" Joe asked as he lined the mantelpiece with red tinsel.

"He's doing good. He has work this year because last year he didn't." Barry explained the situation of his dad while hanging sparkly spherical ornaments on the tree.

"Iris and Eddie should be here soon with the ingredients for dinner so help is on it's way." Joe informed him.

"Oh yeah speaking of dinner, you don't mind that I invited Caitlin and Cisco over tonight?" Barry made sure Joe approved.

"Not a problem! The more guests the better!" Joe said loudly followed by a short laugh.

"So it's cool if I invite the whole CCPD right?" Barry joked.

"Now now, it was just a figure of speech" Joe's expression quickly changed making Barry laugh.

"What about Patty?" Joe asked about his girlfriend.

"I plan to invite her personally maybe bring her Christmas shopping too. We'll see how it goes." Barry said nonchalantly.

"Then you better say goodbye to your wallet!" Joe was the one who joked this time.

"Oh I already did when I went and bought all that stuff" Barry followed up indicating his bag of presents.

The door suddenly opened followed by Iris' voice yelling "We have arrived!". She carried a large metal flash in one hand and a medium sized plastic bag in the other. Eddie behind her closed the door and carried a multiple bags full of groceries with one arm. They dropped the groceries off at the kitchen before going over to the living room to greet Joe and Barry.

"Merry Christmas dad!" Iris kissed Joe on his cheek and gave him a hub.

"Merry Christmas baby girl" he told her hugging her tightly.

She then moved to Barry while Eddie greeted Joe with a pound hug.

"Merry Christmas Bar!" She wraps her arms around him.

"Merry Christmas Iris!" He hugged her with one arm and then went to greet Eddie with a pound hug.

"Well you two can either starting prepping food for dinner later or you can help us decorate the house." Joe gave the couple two options.

"I think we'll help you guys out-" she nodded her head at Eddie seeking for his approval, which he did. "-but first-" Iris jogged to the kitchen to grab the flask and four plastic cups handing one to each of them. "-we should have some of Grandma Esther's famous eggnog!" Iris twisted the cap and poured some into each cup before resealing it and putting back in in the kitchen.

"Cheers?" Barry he rose his cup up slightly. "Cheers!" Everyone repeated after him and copied his gesture, before downing the contents of the cup.

"Mmm! Day's like today, Grandma Esther's eggnog seems light on the bourbon." Joe commented on Iris version of their family recipe.

"Dad I don't want anyone drunk on Christmas okay." She told him as everyone chuckled.

They spent the next few hours decorating the house with tinsel and Christmas wreathes and the tree with a mix of shiny ornaments and colorful ribbon leaving the angel to put at the top for later. By the time they were done it was an hour past lunchtime, so they decided to take a break before preparing for dinner, and eat some of Joe's left over beef stir fry from last night while watching the baseball game on the tv. After eating Barry thought it was time to meet up with Patty so she shot her a text saying; _"Hey, are you still on your lunch break? Can we meet up at my lab?"_ He waited a minute or so before she replied.

 _"Yeah, that's perfect because I think we need to talk"_ Patty responded

 _"Alright I'll see you in a bit okay"_ Barry texted back before returning his phone in his pocket and standing up.

"Guys I'm gonna go meet up with Patty at the precinct I'll be back later to help for dinner though" Barry announced putting his jacket on.

"Okay, do you want to use my car? It's cold outside so walking won't be pleasant." Joe offered.

"Uh yeah sure! Thanks Joe!" Barry headed for the door.

"Ay! One scratch and no dinner for you!" He cried before Barry left.

"Don't worry I learned from the best remember." Barry smirked and winked at Joe as he exited the house and closed the door. Barry got into Joe's and drove to the precinct making a small detour at a nearby flower shop, buying a single white rose for Patty.

*The Precinct*

The precinct had been well adorned by multicolored tinsel, LED lights and miniature statues of snowmen and Santa Claus. Barry hid the rose in the inside pocket of his jacket, he was walking towards the staircase when a familiar voice stopped him.

"Allen!" Captain Singh called out sternly and marched to him.

"Yes Captain Singh?" Barry felt a little nervous, had he made a mistake?

"You're off today. What are you doing here?" The captain asked.

"I'm just going up to see Patty sir" Barry answered.

"I see. Anyways I was going to send this out today but I guess since you're here, you can have this now. Merry Christmas Mr. Allen." Singh took out an envelope from inside his suit. The envelope contained not only his paycheck but also a Christmas bonus.

"Wow, thank you so much Captain. Merry Christmas to you too." Barry thanked his superior.

Singh returned to his office allowing Barry to now go to his lab. He pulled the rose out as he approached the metal sliding door which was left open. He entered his lab and slid the door shut to give them some privacy. Patty sat there leaning against one of his tables. She watched as he got closer and closer and then she felt him giver a quick peck on her lips. Barry held the rose in front of her.

"Merry Christmas! I know this isn't a present but I was thinking maybe if you want to go shopping I can get you something that you want?" Barry smiled as he suggested they go out during her break.

Patty didn't answer, she hung her head down like something was bothering her and there was. Barry noticed this and he place the rose on the table and put his hands on cheeks.

"Patty is there something wrong?" Barry was concerned by the look of her face.

Patty sighed deeply, finally looking up into his sea of green. Her blues began to water but tears didn't fall.

"Barry I think we need to talk" Patty spoke as she grabbed his hands and softly pushed them down, off her face.

"Talk about what?" Barry was anxious to know what was going on with his girlfriend.

"About us, about this" She told him, her voice slightly weaker than usual.

"About what Patty?" Barry said softly.

"I think..things are just..not going to work are between us." She began choking on her words.

"I don't understand" Barry furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Barry, I just don't think you're completely with me. That we're on the same page when it comes to our feelings" Patty explained, the pain in her chest intensified.

"Of course I am. That's why you're my girlfriend. Because I lo..." Barry tried to reassure her but then she cut him off.

"No Barry, don't say that because then, you'd just be lying to yourself, lying to me." Patty said as her eyes started tearing up.

"Patty what are you trying to tell me?" Barry took a step closer to his girlfriend, still confused by what she was saying.

"I don't think you've seen it yet, but the way you look at her when she isn't looking, how you always seem starstruck when she enters the scene, the way she makes you smile, the way you transform into a happier person just by her very presence. That's not how friends react to seeing one another." Patty further expanded.

"Wait, what haven't I seen!? And who are you talking about!?" Barry slightly raised his voice.

"Caitlin..I'm talking about Caitlin and how you're completely blind to how you feel about her." Patty raised hear voice a little too. Barry stood in shock, "Feelings for Caitlin?" He thought inside, his mind was trying to comprehend with all these thing she was telling him.

"When we first started dating, you told me that you got over surprisingly quick and that you were ready to move on with me. But the truth was you already did, with Caitlin." Patty continued. Barry still just speechless, he had been debating whether his feelings for Patty were genuine but this with Caitlin, he couldn't wrap his head around it. Did he really feel that way for Caitlin?

"Now that you know, I think it's better if we go our separate ways Barry. It'll be better for the both of us" she turned walked towards the door but before she could even make two steps Barry took hold of arm and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm sorry if you felt that way, that I made you feel that way, that I caused you pain. It was never my intention to hurt you Patty. I do admit that these past two months I was thinking about whether I actually felt something for you or not and I always told myself I did. But I guess the more I did tell myself, the less I believed in it. I enjoyed every moment we shared. Believe me I did but I guess you're right. In science they say opposites attract, I guess what they say is true positives repel each other." Barry referenced science to relieve some tension, making her smile. "Please forgive me one day." Barry told her as he tightened his grip around her, tears coming from his eyes.

"Don't worry Barry, I already have" Patty tears slowly slid down her face. "Just know that even though I'm not your girlfriend, I'll always be here to be as a friend" she told him as she pulled away placing her hands on his shoulder. A weak smile was portrayed on her face. "Barry, now that you know about your feelings for Caitlin, I want you to feel them and stop denying it. Goodbye and merry Christmas Barry" she looked him straight in eye and gave him one final kiss on the lips before taking the single white rose he gave her and leaving his lab. Barry took a deep breathe and sighed, there was pain of losing another girlfriend inside of him, the feeling of guilt for toying with her feelings too. But right then and there he was starting to deal with something new, his feelings for Caitlin were true and only then did he realize it, thanks to Patty.

He needed sometime to think and someone to vent to and make him feel better. He exited the precinct and got back into Joe's car. Obviously he couldn't go to Caitlin, it would be awkward, but he didn't need to. He knew exactly where to go. Made another quick detour at the nearby flower shop, he drove all the way to the cemetery.

As he drove he began to think how could he have fallen for Caitlin. At first he thought the idea was crazy but now it didn't seem so anymore. "Maybe I should lay down all the facts and reasons why I could fallen for her" Barry thought as he began to list:

 _1\. She's beautiful_

 _2\. She's smart_

 _3\. She's caring_

 _4\. She's independent_

 _5\. She helped me fix my broken heart_

 _6\. She was always there for me when I needed her_

 _7\. She shares an interest in science_

 _8\. She's shared similar pain of losing someone close to their hearts_

He started of with reasons why he could have fallen for her but suddenly it was like he was in a trance, a smile came onto his face as he started to list the reason why he had fallen for her and what he loved about her:

 _9\. You love how competitive she is_

 _10\. You love how cute she is when she freaks out over losing a game._

 _11\. You love her light brown hair that flows angelically down to her shoulders_

 _12\. You love her chocolate brown eyes, filled with sincerity and honesty. One's you could look into forever_

 _13\. You love her smile, one that makes yourself smile. Her pearly whites surrounded by those pink lips that one day you hoped to kiss_

 _14\. You love her skin, flawless and soft to the touch_

 _15\. You love the way she makes you feel_

 _16\. You love the feeling of your hand with hers_

 _17\. You love the warmth, the safety and comfort when she hugs you_

 _18\. You love her figure, how she's perfect just the way she is_

 _19\. You love everything about her; how pretty she is, how smart she is, how caring she, how responsible she is, how simple she is; everything_

 _20\. You **love** Caitlin Snow_

Barry finally admitted for the first time, he was in love with Caitlin Snow. That's why when he kissed Patty it felt different, that's why when he saw he with Jay he could feel something paining inside; jealousy, that's why he missed her so much when she first started dating Jay leaving barely any time to be with him, that's why he seemed so ecstatic and speechless whenever he saw her; because he had fallen for her. This feeling could only be compared to his feeling when he met Felicity, but this one, this one felt stronger. It was like he finally found the one, and she was just right there in front of him, letting her slip past his fingers. And now she was taken, happy with someone else, he was too late again.

End of Chapter 13

 ** _A/N: Truth be told I wasn't planning to do a Christmas chapter or even a two parter. This is actually the second version of this chapter I accidentally deleted the first version. Part two will most likely come next week. I felt the urge to write one because I didn't really want to skip it and move on to another event after that. Anyways as usual review if you want to. Your feedback means a lot to me! Thanks for reading! And I'll see you next time!_**


	14. Chapter 14: Merry Christmas Part 2

_**A/N: First of all, thank you to every single one of you who reviewed last chapter and continue to read my content! It means a lot to me to know you're enjoying the story. Well with nothing else to say here is "Merry Christmas Part 2"**_

 _*Central City Cemetery*_

Barry pressed on the break putting the car to a stop. He grabbed the bouquet of flowers as he got out of the car, clicking the button on the remote to lock the car. He passed the other headstones on the grassy plain slowly until he found the one he had been looking for. Barry placed the flowers in front of it and took a second to read it, like he always did when he visited.

 _"In loving memory of Nora Allen. May she rest in peace"_

A tear came down from his eye as he began to speak, "Hey mom, merry Christmas! I'm sorry I haven't visited in a while, I've been really busy. Dad couldn't come today but he promises he'll come visit in a few months. I know he misses you as much as I do." Barry sniffled and smiled before continuing.

"I also came to visit because I wanted to talk to you. You always listened to me whenever I had some kind of problem and I know that you still do wherever you are. Mom, who knew that your son would have quite the complicated love life? First it was Iris but I had to let her go because it was the best thing to do; and I was right, it was. Then it was Felicity the only other girl to completely shatter my heart. After that Patty; she's one I haven't told you about but here's an easier way to describe her! Imagine me as a girl! It was really amazing how many things we had in common. I really wanted it to work but today, instead of me letting go of her, she let go of me. I'm not gonna lie mom, it hurts, two girls gone in a matter of a few months!? I must be really bad at this huh!" Barry joked shaking his head.

"But Patty, she showed me something about myself today. She showed me who I really had these feelings for. Remember Caitlin; the girl who I ran into at Jitters spilling her coffee, who became one of my best friends and personal love guru, well somehow I guess I fell for her! I just love everything about her, I love being around her. You'd think this is great right but mom you know how my luck goes when it comes to course there was always a problem with who I fall for. And that problem is that she's taken now, I missed out on so many opportunities! I wish I knew what to do now but I don't. But what I do know is that you're always going to be in here to guide me." Barry tapped his chest where his heart would be.

"Well mom I guess that's it for now. I promise I'll come visit again soon." Barry sighed and kissed his index and middle fingers before briefly placing them on the marble headstone. "Love you mom" Barry smiled as he walked back to Joe's car as it was about time to get back and help. His chest now felt lighter, he was much more relieved, even if his mom wasn't there physically she still made him feel much better. Just like the old times.

 _*West Residence - 3:30pm*_

After a gruesome hour stuck in Christmas rush hour traffic, he finally reached Joe's house. He parked the car perfectly at his driveway before making his way to the door. A little tired from sitting down, he stretched his arms and yawned before knocking a little beat on the door. Once again the sound of footsteps were heard approaching the door except faster this time. The door swung open but for Barry it was like his world moved in slow motion. On the other side of the door revealed Caitlin, the woman who he recently found feelings for. She wore adorned with a beautiful knee length striped black and grey dress, along with a neat pair of heals, not too tall for she always stressed how her feet ached after and a necklace he had never scene her wear before. All of these things were just icing on the cake, what he truly admired was that angelic smile on her face, those eyes that met his as soon as the door opened, her auburn hair perfectly parted and curled.

"Hey Barry! Merry Christmas! Come in, you'll let the cold get inside." She told him, as he snapped out of his trance.

"Um..yeah..right. Merry Christmas! You're here a bit early?" Barry started off awkwardly, but was able to recover. For the first time he felt butterflies in his stomach when talking to her. He stepped inside the house, Caitlin closed the door behind him. He removed his jacket and hung it from the coat hanger just beside the door.

"Dr. Wells and Dr. Morgan let us leave early today since it's Christmas, and Cisco and I had nothing to do so why not come here!?" She explained as she twisted the lock of the door.

"And Caitlin made Christmas cookies!" Cisco cheered coming around from the living room behind them a tin of cookies in his hand. He offered Barry who took one before he took one of his own and bit into the pine tree shaped cookie, a wide smile on his face in response to it's taste. "Oh and I brought some cake!" Cisco added proudly before entering the kitchen, which seemed busy.

Barry took a bite from the cookie in his hand and smiled at Caitlin, nodding in approval.

"This is really good" he told her.

"Thanks! It's my mom's recipe. We should go help out in the kitchen. Come on" She said leading the way to the kitchen where everyone was, their hands occupied with something cooking related. Joe was preparing the turkey, Eddie was seasoning the ham, Iris was slicing vegetables and Cisco was making his best attempt at peeling potatoes.

"Ay welcome back Bar! Just leave my keys on the counter. Maybe you could help Cisco with the potatoes? It's looking like we won't have mashed potatoes tonight with the way he's peeling!" Joe took a glance over his shoulder, when the door to the kitchen opened, noticing Barry had arrived.

"Heeeeyyyy I'm doing my best as a first timer okay! I'm no master chef!" Cisco said in response Joe's joke, making them laugh.

"Here let me help you bud" Barry placed Joe's keys on the counter, rolled his sleeves and washed his hands before going over to assist Cisco with his potato peeling agenda.

Caitlin returned to helping Iris chopping vegetables. Barry peeled the potatoes with ease, he had been ever since his college years when he would spend Christmas with the Wests. The blade removed the skins smoothly like a knife through butter; Cisco however did not fair as well as Barry, although Barry did show him his way of peeling so it would become less difficult. Barry couldn't help letting his eyes drift towards Caitlin. She just stood out from everyone in the room to him and this didn't go unnoticed. Luckily it was the one other person who he was truly close with who did. Iris noticed how Barry had been taking brief looks at Caitlin, and these looks weren't the ones you'd give to a friend. These glances reminded her of how Barry used to look at her back in high school, those eyes with hidden affection. "But Barry had Patty, why would he be looking at Caitlin that way?" Iris thought "Unless...unless something happened while he was gone!" It was like a light bulb switched on in her head. "See I'm good at this, mystery solving stuff. I knew I should've joined the force and became a detective...just imagine dad and I...Detective West and Detective West." Iris' thoughts drifted away from Barry for a moment before returning. "Hmmm, let's see if something is up" she smirked to herself.

"Hey Bar, what about Patty? Is she coming tonight or not?" Iris asked seeing if he would take her bait.

"Huh...oh Patty...She..um...said thanks but she has to leave for Coast City tonight...and she still had to pack so..she couldn't come." Barry stammered as he lied, hopefully he didn't make it obvious. He put a small frown on his face to make it seem so.

"Ah, that's unfortunate I was really looking forward to talking to her." Iris secretly cheered in her mind. Barry was definitely lying to her. Luckily she was the only one able to see his dishonesty. Iris wanted to find out what was going on with her best friend, but she figured this wasn't the right time.

"If you makes you feel any better my girlfriend is away too" Cisco told him to try cheer him.

"You have a girlfriend!?" Joe, Iris and Eddie all said perfectly synchronized and shocked at this information.

"Why, does everyone act like I can't get a girlfriend!? Can't an engineer who can't peel potatoes properly get a girl to love him!?" Cisco told them jokingly, laughter filling the room right after.

 _*2 hours later*_

 _"Curry for the lead! Good! He hits the buzzer beater from deep! *stadium crowd goes crazy* That will conclude the first half, please stay with us_

 _as we start our halftime show featuring international singing sensation Ed Sheeran here at the NBA Christmas Special!"_ Barry and Joe cheered as the famed basketball star landed the three pointer, with only a few seconds left on the shot clock.

It had been an hour since they finished preparing the for dinner. The turkey and ham were now in the oven; being roasted to perfection, the potatoes and vegetables were still being boiled and steamed, a tray of cookies were in the fridge being chilled before baking and more eggnog was being made. Meanwhile the group all sat around the living room watching the basketball match between the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets as part of the Christmas special. Barry and Joe were always fans of watching basketball. Despite Barry being in the track team in high school; he found basketball more fun to watch. Caitlin and Cisco spent the time analyzing the techniques of the players and the science behind the sport while Eddie had Iris on his lap half his attention on the tv and the other half on his girlfriend.

"I'm just going to get a snack" Barry announced standing up and heading to the kitchen, unknowingly being followed by Iris a minute later. He checked the state of the food which was cooking before opening one of the cupboards which contained a bag of tortilla chips and cheese dip. He closed the cupboard only to find Iris there beside him.

"Oh my god! Jeez Iris! You almost gave me a heart attack! You can't just pop in and out like that!" Barry got a fright when he saw Iris sitting on the counter.

"You sound like my dad!" Iris laughed at him. "Anyway, I wanted to talk you. In private" Iris closed the kitchen door, the hazy sound of Ed Sheeran's performance seeped through.

"Talk to me about what?" Barry became suspicious of Iris' actions.

"Why you lied about Patty earlier?" Iris crossed her arms and made direct eye contact with him, the question leaving Barry a little flustered.

"Uhh I don't know what you're talking about..I told you guys the truth...why would I be lying?" Barry asked her as he moved to get a plate to pour the chips onto, to avoid Iris' piercing stare.

"Barry, c'mon I've been your best friend since elementary school. You don't think I wouldn't know when you're lying or not." Iris had a smug expression on her face. "So just spill the beans, what really happened to you and Patty earlier?" She rephrased her initial question.

Barry sighed and smiled softly, luckily it was Iris who noticed he was lying and no one else. Iris was someone who also understood him well, even more than Caitlin did. He decided to tell her the truth.

"Patty and I..we broke up today" Barry admitted to his long time best friend.

"Bar, I'm sorry" Iris hugged him and then pulled away, letting him explain further.

"It was for the better for both of us. She knew that in the end she would end up hurt in this relationship so we decided to call it quits." Barry detailed what happened.

"Why would she get hurt in the end?" Iris asked her, voice in lower volume.

"Because I never truly loved her because I was into someone else. Patty and I was just a game I played in my head to help me believe that I moved on. And I did...just not with the person I expected her to be" Barry continued giving Iris the reason why.

"Then who did you move on with? Who did you truly love Bar?" Two questions came from Iris but all Barry needed to do was say one thing.

"I'm in love with Caitlin, Iris. I learned that today and Patty helped me realize it." Barry told her, holding his head down.

"That explains the glances" Iris commented, causing Barry to raise one of his eyebrows. "Yeah I saw those too." She playfully slapped his arm before taking a breath before reassuring him. "Listen Bar, I know right now you're probably thinking that you screwed up again or you were too late because she has a boyfriend now, but Caitlin being with Jay doesn't mean they'll last forever. If she's meant for you you'll get a chance somewhere down the line but if she isn't, whatever happens I'll be right here to support you. I'll be your personal wing woman if that makes sense." Iris giggled and gave Barry another hug.

"You know you're the best right." He told her.

"I know" Both of them giggled at her confident response. Barry felt more relieved knowing that he had Iris' support.

The kitchen door opened Eddie carrying his glass looking for some soda.

"I'm sorry guys,totally interrupted a best friend moment didn't I?" He smiled nervously

"No you didn't! Come here!" Iris kissed him on the cheek. "What did you want?" The couple walked over to the fridge to grab a soda. Barry took the plate of chips and cheese dip, and watched the them. He smiled at how adorable they were. Hopefully one day he'd find happiness like Iris did. Barry walked out of the kitchen and back to the living room; the halftime show had just ended.

"Chips YASS!" Cisco quickly got up from his seat to take one as soon as Barry put it down on the coffee table.

"What? That long for a plate of chips and dip?" Caitlin asked comically taking one of her own, dipped it into the cheese sauce and ate it.

"There are a lot of cupboards in there okay!" Barry responded with a grin.

 _"And we're back, the players are all hydrated and ready to go!"_ The commentator excitedly announced as the third quarter began.

After the basketball game, dinner was ready. They all sat round the the rectangular wooden dining table. Iris smirked at Barry as she set the table up to have Barry right across Caitlin. He looked at her with an "are you for real" face. Once the food was brought in and placed on the table, they all closed their eyes and said grace. "Amen" they concluded their prayer and dug in, enjoying the savory flavor of mash potatoes and gravy, the juiciness and sweetness of the turkey with cranberry sauce, the meatiness of the ham and the softness of the vegetables. Once again Barry found that he couldn't take his eyes off the gem in front of him. He made sure that he didn't get carried away when he took glances at her. He just couldn't resist looking at her face,snow white skin with a slight shade of pink on her cheeks, her captivating eyes and her cute nose and tempting pink lips. Just her looking at him made him a little breathless.

They finished dinner and went back to the living room to watch a Christmas movie, all except Barry who volunteered to wash the dishes. Deep inside he really just needed an excuse to stop looking at Caitlin and not seeing her was probably the only real option. Barry was on his last dish when the kitchen door opened and of course it would be Caitlin. Barry rolled his eyes, butterflies in his stomach once again. She stepped beside him and grabbed a glass, filling it with water from the dispenser on the fridge.

"Hey! You need any help?" She kindly offered her assistance.

"I'm good, I'm just about done." Barry wiped the final plate before placing it with the other plates in the cupboard just to his left. He dried his hands and turned to her. For a moment he was breathless as his eyes met her smile.

"So you're necklace I haven't seen you wear it before?" Barry used his curiosity on the white gold necklace with blue beads around her neck as a conversation starter.

"Oh this!? I don't usually wear this stuff but this one's special. Jay gave it to me before he left for Keystone. It's his present for me! My one was pretty crappy compared to this" Caitlin giggled as she remembered giving Jay a hat for Christmas. Barry listened to her, a half smile on his face as he saw how happy she was with Jay as her boyfriend; part of him hurt inside.

"So how about Patty? Did you get her anything special? I'm sure you did." She enthusiastically asked.

"Actually Patty and I...we decided that it would be better..if we went our separate ways today" Barry sighed and decided he should tell her, after-all she would find out soon enough anyway. "We thought that none of us would get hurt if we stopped now." He added; Caitlin's enthusiasm fading as she listened to him.

"But why would you get hurt? I don't understand" Caitlin's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. As far as she knew Patty and Barry were perfect for each other.

"After two months of testing the water, we didn't feel the same way for each other anymore and we'd just be lying to ourselves if we continued. Maybe I was just trying to move on too fast." Barry lied about the details of his separation with Patty. He couldn't tell Caitlin the truth, that she was part of the reason why they broke up; that he move on with her instead of Patty.

"Barry..." She stepped forward and hugged him briefly. It was a relatively quick hug but to Barry it felt like it could last forever. He didn't want to let go of her but he had to. She pulled away and looked into his green eyes; eyes that used to make her feel nervous now had close to no effect on her.

"I told you that you can't rush things when it comes to moving on. It takes time especially with you. You loved and dedicated yourself to Felicity for 2 years and moving on from that shouldn't have been that quick but you proved me wrong. You were able to conquer your leftover feeling for her within the span of a few months. That's crazy fast, maybe a little two fast. Remember I'll be right here to support you if you need to go through the steps again." She gave him a reassuring smile and lightly dragged her hand along his left arm

"Thank you. I feel better. You don't know how much I appreciate you being here for me all the time." Barry thanked her and smiled. His words meant more than what Caitlin thought they meant. He just made sure to rephrase it to make it seem like it was for a really good friend, when he really meant that he was happy to have her in his life.

"Come on you've missed like half of the movie" She told him leading the way back to living room.

 _*11:59pm*_

"Dad it's time!" Iris excitedly signaled her father to put the angel on top of the Christmas tree.

"Alright, 5...4...3...2...1...MERRY CHRISTMAS!" They all cheered as Joe placed the angel ornament at the peak of the tree, completing the tree. They all gave each other hugs and greeted one another. They then began handing out the presents, everyone of them receiving at least one gift. Iris received a new dress, a watch and a gold necklace, Eddie received a new shirt, a new wallet and a ring with "IW & ET" engraved into it. Joe got a new trench coat, a pair of sunglasses and a beanie. Cisco was ecstatic to get two Star Wars themed graphic t-shirts from Caitlin, one read _"Never order Order 66"_ and the other _"Keep Calm and May the Force_ _Be with You"_ as well as a ninja turtles hoodie from Barry. Caitlin received a new blazer from Cisco, surprisingly Cisco knew that she liked to wear them and from Barry, a silver and sky blue bracelet with a snowflake pendant which she thought was beautiful. Barry was the one to get the most presents out of everyone, receiving one from everyone. From Iris she got him a new microscope; which was convenient because the one in his lab was really old. He got a new button up from Eddie; Iris probably helping him on that one. Cisco gave him a red jacket with lightning decals around it; this present was one that Barry really enjoyed. Caitlin had given him a new pair of converse, her knowing that he had a love for the shoe brand and was in need of a new pair. Lastly was Joe's present, but it wasn't just from Joe, it was also from his dad. The gift was a $40,000 cheque, which left Barry's eyes wide and his jaw on the ground.

"Your old man and I were thinking it was time for you to get a car so, we split this 50-50 as a present for you. Next thing tomorrow we'll go look for a car." Joe explained the purpose of the large sum of money now in Barry's hands.

They spent the next hour talking about their presents and funny past Christmas experiences. After that hour everyone decided to call it a day, and left except for Barry who asked Joe if he could crash at his place. Of course Joe couldn't say no to Barry so he let him. Barry escorted Caitlin to the door, Cisco had already ran off to start his car and get the engine heated.

"So maybe you guys could come over tomorrow again. We plan on finishing leftovers!" Barry opened the door for the brunette.

"Sure, we'd love to! Thanks for inviting us tonight by the way!" Caitlin smiled at him with that smile that made his heart melt. Barry mirrored the expression on her face. For a moment they just looked into each others eyes; a brief moment of silence that was really unexplainable.

"Hey Cait come on!" Cisco shouted from the car window breaking this sudden silence.

"So I'll see you tomorrow?" Barry cleared his throat before speaking.

"Yes, sure! Goodnight" Caitlin said with a smile before she turned and walked to Cisco's black Toyota Camry, looking back to wave Barry goodbye.

"Goodnight" Barry told her as she walked away, waving his hand.

That night Barry lay on the couch, unable to sleep properly. The thought of Caitlin was stuck in his head and he didn't want to stop thinking about her. Caitlin sat on the passenger seat, she gazed out the car window, thinking about what happened that night, she remembered that Barry didn't seem to be that down about Patty and him breaking up which was strange because she always thought of Barry as a passionate person; giving his 100% in everything he did. She took notice of the bracelet that Barry gave her around her wrist and it made her lips arch up as she fiddled with the snowflake shaped pendant. "Real creative Barry" she rolled her eyes and laughed quietly to herself.

End of Chapter 14

 _ **A/N: Well what do you think? I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. As you can see the roles have switched. Barry is now the one in love! New Years chapter is next! It wasn't originally planned but heck why not? I did a Christmas chapter might as well do a New Years one. I hoped you liked the little snowbarry moments in this chapter. I know there's not too many. Westallen friendship is here and you may be seeing more in the future. So until next time! I'll see you guys!**_


	15. Chapter 15: New Years Party Part 1

_**A/N: Thanks for your patience! I would also like to thank the reviewers of last weeks chapter: Spitfire303, Guest, df7t and Flash frost! Thank you for taking time to review the chapter! Now let's get going shall we!? Here's this week's chapter(s) of "Unexpectedly". Enjoy!**_

A few days past and it was already the 31st of December, New Years Eve. It had been 6 days since Barry discovered the truth about his feelings for Caitlin and so far he's been doing well in keeping them hidden. Nothing has been heard from Jay these past 6 days and this put a slight frown on Caitlin's face. She understood that is he was with his family but she also wanted him to be with her when the New Year began. It wasn't that important though because she still had her two best friends Cisco and Barry to celebrate with. Barry had been acting a little bit strange around her lately, he seemed a little tense whenever he was talking to her, when usually he'd be calm and open. Caitlin didn't really think about it too much though, it'd be crazy to think that he had a problem with her, after all he was her close friend. If he did he would've told her already and solved it. If only she knew what this "problem" was related to and why he couldn't tell her. This night would be the one that hurt Barry, making him realize how deeply in love he was with this girl.

 _*Jitters, early morning*_

Barry parked his new car perfectly, getting out and taking a second to marvel at the beauty of the shiny metallic red paint job. He had chosen to buy brand new Mitsubishi Lancer Evo MR because he wanted something practical, fast and cool; this car fitting all his criteria. It had taken some convincing from Joe whether he should purchase the car or not but in the end he inevitably bought it and he didn't regret it at all. This car may have just changed his life; his hidden love for driving woke him up in the morning looking forward to getting into the vehicle inhaling the "new car" smell and feeling the comfy leather seats.

Finally walking away Barry entered the cafe a bright grin on his face. "Well, well, well! looks like someone's happy this morning!? And on time too! Wow!" Iris checked her watch before giving him a friendly hug. "Good morning to you too!" Barry greeted her in return.

"The regular?" Iris suggested going back to the counter. Jitter's wasn't so busy at the time since Barry was early, he had dodged the early morning rush hour.

"That car, when am I gonna be able to take in on a test drive?" Iris jokingly smirked at him as she brewed his coffee.

"With your driving I don't think so!" he teased the barista, giggling.

"Hey my driving isn't that bad okay! You know I've got like...4 speeding tickets and 3 scratches on my car but that doesn't mean I'm a terrible driver! I also feel like I've gotten better." she handed him his cup of coffee with a smile and received money from Barry who shared the same expression.

"Thanks Iris, I'll see ya later alright!" Barry was about to leave when Iris grabbed his free arm.

"Wait!" She told him, a tight grip on his arm.

"Yes?" Barry turned back around facing her.

"I just wanted to ask are we doing anything special for New Years?" She asked the brunette.

"I don't know, I think Joe has a shift tonight and I promised Caitlin and Cisco that'd I'd go to the Star Labs New Years party with them. I guess it might just be you and Eddie tonight." He answered with a half smile.

"Oh okay, Eddie and I will just go out for dinner I guess." Iris with a hint of disappointment in her voice. She liked being with her family at these special events of the year but she understood if they couldn't get together.

"Sorry I can't come to dinner. I know it means a lot to you. Is that it?because I gotta go." Barry apologized and asked her before leaving.

"One more question!" She smiled at her good friend.

"What?" Barry crossed his arms and waited for her to tell him the question.

"How's Caitlin?" Iris smirked

"She's doing fine" Barry rolled his eyes and answered her question quickly before making his way out of the cafe. Iris laughed and said goodbye on his way out. She found Barry's awkwardness funny whenever she brought up Caitlin.

Barry got back into his vehicle and turned it on. The wonderful sound the engine made whenever he put pressure on the gas filled his ears. He switched to the first gear and drove to the precinct, he still had 15 minutes before he was late.

 _*The Precinct*_

With 8 minutes to spare, Barry had his car parked and he was ready to do some CSI work. He entered the building and found Joe in the lobby waiting for him.

"Well, well, well, look who's not late for work! Seems like a new record! 4 straight days huh impressive" Joe said laughing to himself a little.

"Funny, that's kinda like what Iris said to me this morning." Barry smiled at him as they began to walk up to his lab side by side.

"I guess you could say like father like daughter" Joe joked

"Did you have too much coffee this morning?" Barry asked pointing at the cup coffee in Joe's hand. Joe was never really this giddy.

"Maybe, I think this is my third cup" He looked at his mug, his eyes getting wide. "How's Iris by the way?" Joe sounded more like himself now.

"She's okay, sounded a little bit disappointed." Barry told him as they reached the large sliding door to his lab. Barry unlocked it with his key, before gripping the handle bars and pulling it open with ease.

"Looks like you've been hitting the weight room a little bit more than usual." Joe raised his eyebrows astonished by Barry's strength. Usually it took him a little bit more force to open it.

"Really? I thought someone finally put some oil on it so it slides easier but working out works too." He smirked at him, stepping aside to let Joe in.

Joe laughed and shook his head as he walked inside. Barry closed the door to give them some privacy.

"So why is Iris "disappointed"?" Joe asked Barry about his daughter.

"Well I can only guess it's because you and I can't be around for New Years dinner. She loves "the whole family being together for occasions" dynamic; she always has." Barry said looking through files in one of his lockers.

"Wait you can't be at the New Years dinner tonight." Joe asked with a surprised tone in his voice.

"Yeah, I promised to go to the Star Labs New Years party tonight with Cisco and Caitlin. And my spot's already recorded so I can't cancel." Barry gave Joe the reason he couldn't join Iris and Eddie for dinner.

"Oh boy. I'll see if I can get an on-call shift instead of an office one tonight. I'll be right back." Joe jogged out of the lab to request a change in his night shift from Singh.

Joe came back a few minutes later a smile on his face. Singh had approved of his request. Barry wasn't surprised, Joe was one of the most valued detectives in the precinct due to his efficiency and dedication to his job in the force. A little shift change wouldn't have been too much to ask for when you're all that.

"Oh by the way Bar, Singh wants the Snart report. He's wondering if you've it done." Joe informed him of the captain's orders.

"It is right here!" Barry searched through his pile of completed reports and handed the manila folder labeled "Leonard Snart" to Joe. "Just tell me if he needs anyone else's one. I got lots of them done right here." He told the detective with pride, his hand on the tall tower of manila folders on his desk.

"I'll make sure I do." He laughed at Barry before running down to Singh with the file.

Barry was finishing more of his work when his phone vibrated in his pocket. It was a text message from Cisco.

 _"Hey man! Party starts at 8pm! Make sure to not be late (that rhymed xD) Can you pick Caitlin and I up at 7:25 later? We'll be at her place. Oh yeah and it's a suit and dress party by the way."_ Cisco reminded him and informed him about the dress code.

 _"Yeah, I'll be there at 7:25! I promise I won't be late. Suit and dress huh? I guessing you're really excited to be wearing a suit? XD"_ Barry replied to the message within a few seconds of receiving it.

 _"Tell me about. Cait brought me to the mall yesterday to get me a new suit. It was probably the worst 2 hours of my life. Well I'll see you later then friend."_ Cisco responded

 _"Haha I feel you man! Alright then I'll see you at 7:25!"_ Barry sent the last text message before returning to doing his work. Barry smiled the thought of Caitlin and him slow dancing came into mind. Her in a beautiful dress, her arms resting on his shoulder, his hands at her waist as they swayed to the slow melody of a love song. He shook his head thinking how cliche it was.

Joe returned a little bit later inviting Barry to lunch. They drove to the bagel shop close by where they sat and enjoyed the aroma of freshly baked bagels while savoring the flavor of one at the same time. Suddenly Joe asked Barry a question that he wasn't quite expecting.

"So how's Caitlin?" Joe asked as he chewed on a bagel and washed it down with some orange juice.

Barry almost choked on his bagel at the sound of her name. Why would Joe be asking about Caitlin. He hasn't told him anything about his feelings for her.

"She's..doing good..Why do you ask?" Barry answered curiously.

"Nothing, it's just a little birdie told me that a Barry Allen likes a Caitlin Snow." Joe said with smirk biting into his bagel once more.

"Is this little birdie's name Iris West, who happens to be your daughter." Barry said in a sarcastic tone, squinting his eyes at the man in front of him eating a cheese filled bagel.

"Maybe" Joe mumbled as he wiped his face with a napkin. "Look Bar, if you didn't want to tell me about it yet, I'm sorry. But you've been a little occupied by your thoughts lately, so I asked Iris what was going on. Plus you never said anything about Iris not telling anyone about it." Joe explained how he knew of Barry's situation.

"Well it was implied." Barry commented. He couldn't get mad at Joe, he was just worried about him.

"I know it hurts Bar, having to live with the feelings all bottled up inside of you but someday you'll be able to show her how you feel. It all takes time." Joe gave him some advice as if he were his father.

"Thanks Joe" his words produced a warm smile on Barry's face. Joe had always been there to help and support him ever since the day he went to college.

"Always here to help son. I think we should go, I just got a text from Singh; robbery at Chinatown, one injured. Do you have you CSI stuff?" Joe focused on his phone while speaking to Barry. His tone was more serious, as it usually does when it comes to work. Barry nodded his head as they left the bagel shop, back to Barry's car and drove to Chinatown.

 _*Barry's Apartment- 6:55pm*_

Barry walked out of the bathroom a towel wrapped around his waist, just after taking a hot shower _._ He made his way to his walk-in closet pushing the cloth hangers aside one by one looking for the right button up to wear. He soon settled with a plain white one. He then grabbed his black blazer which was paired with black dress pants. Lastly he tied a navy blue tie neatly around his neck. He looked at himself in the mirror, buttoning his blazer together an fixing the position of his tie; the suit really fit him well, he observed himself. He felt like his teenage self getting ready for prom, making sure he looked good for his date; casually fixing his hair and the sleeves of his button up. He completed his outfit with black leather shoes before heading out to pick the two up.

 _*Caitlin's apartment - 6:55pm*_

Caitlin laid out three dresses on her bed each of different colour and different styles. She had just taken a shower and put her make up, now in her bathrobe she had to make a decision on which one of the dresses she wanted to wear that night. One of her choices was a black and sparkly cocktail dress but she felt it was a little too revealing and short for the occasion. Another was a red and backless but it came all the way down to her shins, which she thought was a little too long for her. Then there was a white knee-length pencil dress with a single diagonal strap. It was simple yet elegant and so she chose to wear it. She examined herself in the mirror making sure everything was proper. Her hair was curled nicely, her make was spot on, the dress never looked better, a small black purse and matching coloured heels made a really good contrast with the colour of the dress. She was now ready. She took her phone from the bedside table and checked the time - 7:05pm. "Barry should be arriving soon" she thought as she placed her phone into her purse and left her room. The sound of gunfire and zombies could be heard from the living room. Cisco had arrived earlier and decided to watch the Walking Dead while he waited for his best friend to prepare. Caitlin cautiously walked down the stairs making sure she wouldn't trip and fall with heels on. Cisco who wore his brand new suit slouched down on the couch snacking on a bag of cheese flavored Lays.

"Hey careful with those! You might get crumbs on your suit!" She told him as she finally stepped in the hardwood floor of her living room. Cisco turned to her and rolled his eyes. He then stood up rolling the bag of Lays up and placing it on the coffee the coffee table. He dusted his hands before doing the same with his suit. He pulled the blazer down to straighten it after it scrunched up from him slouching. He then pulled on the neck of his button up.

"Ugh freaking hate wearing suits! Everything's so tight!" Cisco complained. Wearing suits and stuff wasn't really his thing. A simple combination of a graphic t-shirt, an opened button up, slim fit jeans and vans always worked well for him.

"Cisco stop fidgeting, you look great. For once you don't look like a teenager." Caitlin joked, making Cisco put a "really" look on his face.

"So Jay really can't come?" Cisco asked about her boyfriend.

"Unfortunately yes, he can't come." Caitlin said a sense of sadness in her voice. "But you and Barry are here so I don't really mind" she smiled warmly at her best friend.

"Awww I feel special" Cisco said comically and smiled back.

"Speaking of Barry where is he? I thought he was supposed to pick us up at quarter past?" She furrowed her eyebrows looking at the clock that hung on the wall now reading 7:11pm.

"Oops" Cisco mumbled. He turned a little red from embarrassment. He knew he had made a slight mistake.

"What do you mean by "oops"?" Caitlin stared at Cisco with piercing eyes as if see was going to throw frozen daggers at him.

"I kinda...mistakenly...texted him to pick us up ten minutes later." Cisco wore a nervous smile on his face and couldn't look straight at Caitlin. Seeing angry Caitlin wasn't a sight he stand up to.

"You what!?" She exclaimed, her anger building up inside of her. She rarely lost her temper that quick. Realizing she was slightly overreacting she took a deep breath to calm down. A cold stare remained on her face.

"Are you mad?" Cisco said like a frightened child.

"No, I'm not mad. Sorry for shouting at you. I shouldn't have lost my temper that quickly. I just don't want to be late." She sighed and apologized to him.

"We won't be late. Trust Barry" Cisco told her with a smile back on his face. Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"Well speak of the devil. Here comes our main man right now." Cisco said with a smug look on his face. He walked to the door, looking through the peephole before unlocking it. A grin on his face as he confirmed that it was indeed Barry Allen. Cisco excitedly opened the door.

"Sorry am I a little early?" An unsure Barry asked.

"Nah man! You're just in time. Wait I'll go call Caitlin. Caitlin! Barry's here!" Cisco turned around and shouted, before joining Barry standing outside, giving Caitlin somewhat of a runway. Well that's how Barry saw it; Caitlin strolled towards them, leaving Barry in awe. His mouth slightly opened at the sight of her wearing the white pencil dress. Barry was simply starstruck; it was like he had just seen an angel, actually he felt like he could've been in the presence of one. A beaming smile from Caitlin left Barry speechless. He gulped as she stood in front of them.

"What?" She asked Barry with her right eyebrow up.

"Uh..Nothing...It's just that...You look really..stunning." Barry was barely able to form a sentence.

"Thanks. You look dashing yourself!" Caitlin friendly complemented him, causing Barry to blush a little.

"We should go" Barry cleared his throat and spoke, looking away from the beautiful brunette briefly.

"Yes we should" Caitlin joined them outside and locked the door before they all made their way to Barry's car.

End of Chapter 15

 ** _A/N: So here's part 1, as promised on my twitter (follow me if you want AReiss_215) part 2 will be up shortly! I hope you liked part 1 and look forward to part 2! Nothing really much else to say, review maybe? Thanks for reading and I'll talk to y'all in a bit :)_**


	16. Chapter 16: New Years Party Part 2

_**A/N: So here you are as promised! All I can say is I hope you enjoy Part 2 and I'll see ya in the end notes!**_

It didn't help that Caitlin sat beside him on the passenger seat. He felt way more nervous than ever before being that close to her. Back then it never bothered him whenever she was near him but now, things have changed, his feelings had changed. He tried his best to focus on the road, but he did catch himself side-eying her during the journey. Meanwhile Cisco sat alone in the back seat, pouting after he called shotgun before they got to the car, but Caitlin had taken his place.

"If it makes you feel any better I keep some of my snacks there." Barry attempted to cheer his friend up, in which he succeeded in doing so. Within a minute of mentioning snacks, Cisco was already on the hunt; his eyes scanning the small area around him for something sweet he could chew on. It was then when he spotted a pack of blueberry bonbons in the pocket behind the passenger seat. His arm quickly extended reaching for the treats and tearing through the bag.

"Thanks Barry, you're the best" Cisco mumbled with his mouth filled with bonbons.

"No problem man! Just don't eat too much." Barry laughed and glanced at Caitlin who just smiled and shook her head at Cisco's actions.

 _*Star Labs - 7:35pm*_

"And we have arrived!" Barry informed his two passengers as he parked his car and switched the engine off. They all walked into the renowned scientific facility, and used the elevator to the third floor. Once a recreation area had now been turned into a party hall, which took Barry by surprise; he hadn't been in Star Labs since the day he met Caitlin. The venue was already full of employees and guests conversing amongst another. There was smooth jazz playing in the background; controlled by a DJ, a bar was located just at the corner where there was a large variety of wines and spirits and a buffet where the waiters would take food from to serve to the attendees as well as offering them drinks. They snaked around the hall trying to find their designated table. When they did, they took their seats and ordered food as they waited for the program to start. At 8:00 Harrison Wells and his wife Tess Morgan entered, their appearance followed by an applause. They got on stage where two podiums had been set up for them.

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen, fellow scientists and engineers, our guests. I hope that you are having a splendid dinner tonight and thank you for joining us in this celebration. If you notice on your tables there is a custom made Star Labs interactive smart bracelet with your names engraved on them. Designed by one of our many talented engineers here, these can interact with many of your personal devices; phones, tablets, smart televisions, computers as well as track your heatlh and scan you for any temperature changes in your body. This exclusive device is a small piece of gratitude we'd like to give for being here and working with us at Star Labs." Dr. Wells begun the program addressing the employees and the guests

"Star Labs has had a wonderful year of research and development, in medicine, technology and it's all thanks to you and your dedication to strive for a better future. Our facility is one that is made of great minds that all think alike! That's what makes us the world's number one scientific facility! And we hope to continue this greatness and innovation for many more years to come." Dr. Morgan continued the speech, which received a loud applause right after.

"And so without further ado we'd like to present "Star Labs: A Year of Greatness"" Dr. Wells directed his hand to the screen behind him where a video had started to play. It featured Star Lab's current projects and future projects and interviews of some of the great minds behind it; which included both Cisco and Caitlin.

After the video which lasted 20 minutes long, all of attendees received a brand new custom tablet as another part of Dr. Wells' and Dr. Morgan's thank you. Wells and Morgan left the stage once the program finished, joining Star Labs' investors and business partners at their own table. Cisco was geeking out about how new and advanced this tablet was while Barry casually ate his food, occasionally glancing at Caitlin like he now usually did when she was around. People soon finished their dinner and made their way to the dance floor where they were all moving and swaying to the sound of modern pop music. Barry watched his two friends, one focused on her phone; presumably texting or reading and the other fiddling with the new tablet.

"Caitlin you look a little bored there. You okay?" Barry asked her as she looked up from her phone, where she had been reading an e-book.

"Hm? Yeah I'm okay. It's just I'm not really a party person." She explained nervously smiling with a hint of embarrassment. She put her phone back into her purse. She had been waiting for one of them to talk and as predicted Barry would always make conversation.

"Look I'm not really any better. But I think we should you know...Have fun! Over there! Get out of our turtle shells a little bit." Barry said as he directed her attention to the crowd dancing.

"Barry, I appreciate the enthusiasm but I'm really not into that stuff." She smiled at him more confidently yet hoping he wouldn't encourage her to dance with him but knowing Barry, he probably will.

Barry sighed and took a deep breathe. He had been feeling so tensed inside this whole time when talking to Caitlin. He doesn't even know how he was able to create sentences properly, let alone have a normal conversation. He cleared his throat and stood up.

"Come on! It'll be a good time! Trust me Cait" Barry used his courage to extend his arm towards her, his hand awaiting her hand, as he shot a warm smile at her. The one that Caitlin found so irresistible; the one that made her say "yes" to whatever he asked her to do.

She thought about it for a second and sighed, shaking her head. "Fine" she replied taking his hand. She felt a familiar warmth as she did; one that made her feel safe. A glimpse of the memory of her and Barry on the rollercoaster flashed inside her head as if it had been suppressed and finally found the ability to e remembered again.

"How about you Cisco?" Barry asked the engineer before making their way to the dance floor.

"Nah, I'm cool. I prefer not to embarrass myself." He joked looking at the two with a goofy smile.

"Hey! rude much?" Caitlin exclaimed before Barry dragged her to the dance floor.

Caitlin watched Barry slightly move left and right, switching his weight between his feet and clicking his fingers to the beat of the song; his eyes focused on her and a goofy smile on his face that said "Come on try it!". She honestly wasn't a fan of this music all these beats and basses. She preferred more classical music or more mellow type of songs. It had not been long when she started to move with him; both of them laughing at how silly and awkward they looked dancing. Suddenly there was a song change, from a upbeat pop song, it had switched into a love song. _*Unexpectedly by Jason Chen starts playing*_

A song Caitlin didn't really mind. It was modern with a hint of that pop culture but overall it moved slowly with very "interesting" lyrics. She watched as the people around her and Barry all paired up and began to sway with the song. Barry's face flushed at he realization that somehow what he imagined earlier that morning was about to come true; that he and Caitlin were about to dance to a love song. He offered his hand for her to take, letting her choose whether or not she wanted to slow dance with him, knowing that she did have a boyfriend. Caitlin slowly took his hand, Barry then guided her arms to his shoulders allowing her hands to cuff just around the back of his neck. He placed his hands at her waist and they began to sway to the lyrics and rhythm of the song.

Barry didn't know what took over him at that point. It was like he found a sudden surge of courage inside of him. One thing they were dancing carelessly to a pop song now they were slow dancing. Caitlin blushed at how close her and Barry were and how they looked deeply into each other's eyes, but why would she blush? She didn't feel for him anymore right? These small thoughts about Barry started appearing again.

"This song..is nice" Barry spoke to relieve some tension. They hadn't spoken to each other since they started slow dancing.

"Yeah I actually like it" Caitlin replied with a brief answer.

"It..uh..reminds me of someone" the words just came out of Barry's mouth without even thinking about it. Was this really the right time for him to admit his feelings for her? Barry thought.

"Oh really? You've got a new girlfriend already?" She said giggling.

"No.. It's just there's someone that's really special to me and this song reminds me of them." Barry carefully explained, making sure to not specify with "she".

"Aw that's so sweet! So who this person that you've met so "unexpectedly" who is so special to you!?" Caitlin asked happily emphasizing on the word "unexpectedly" for it was presumably the name of the song and the whole subject matter of it.

Barry exhaled and looked directly into her chocolate brown eyes with passion. Was he really gonna do it? Was he really going to say this now? Yes, yes he was. Barry decided it was time. Risking it all; their relationship as close friends and his chances, he began to speak.

"Caitlin...It reminds me of..." Before Barry could finish his sentence he felt a tap on his shoulder followed by the words.

"Excuse me, but if you don't mind I'd like to dance with my girlfriend." A familiar voice spoke behind him. He watched as Caitlin's expression changed into one full of excitement and happiness. Her arms dropped from his shoulders as she moved to the side and hugged the man behind him. Barry turned around, of course it was none other than Jay Garrick. Barry felt a slight irritation. "Of course Jay would appear at that moment! I forgot how destiny hates my lovelife with a passion!" Barry thought sarcastically as a blank expression appeared on his face as he observed Caitlin squeezed Jay tightly as if she had not seen him in a long time and then gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. The two had been taking it slow, so far they had not kissed on the lips.

"You came!" Caitlin ecstatic that her boyfriend was at the party.

"I didn't want to spend my New Years without you." He said sweetly to Caitlin, hugging her, his eyes closing as his head rested on her shoulder, before they pulled away. Caitlin came around to Jay's left side his hand to hold her at the waist and similarly at his waist. The couple smiled at Barry who stood there, his hands in his pockets, a fake smile responded to their true ones.

"It's nice to see you again Jay." Barry held his hand out for him to shake.

"You too Barry, thanks for accompanying her to the dance floor by the way." Jay responded as he gripped Barry's hand.

"It was nothing really...I was just trying to entertain a bored friend." Barry explained. "Well, I guess I'll leaving you two to catch up and enjoy the night together. If you need me I'll be at the table with Cisco..." Barry glanced at where they had been sitting, the engineer seemed to have disappeared. "Or not! I'll be at the bar I guess." Barry left the dance floor leaving the couple and heading to the bar stools. He sat down elbows on the counter as he ran the fingers of his right hand through his hair before raising it to call the bartender, requesting a shot of tequila and an ice cold coke. He sighed just right before he took the shot and drank some coke to chase it. He discretely observed the couple dancing. There was definitely a notable change in her. She looked happier, her eyes seemed to sparkle when she looked at Jay, her smile shined brighter. Once again the song switched into another slow love song, this time it was Jay dancing with her. Barry watched as they passionately looked each other in the eyes, laughing, enjoying each other's company. Barry should be happy for her, being the "good friend" that he was, but things have changed for him. Part of him smiled knowing Caitlin had found someone to be happy with but another part of him felt pain knowing that it wasn't him. This feeling, a sensation he hadn't felt in a very long time, jealousy is what's it's called. It's been a while since he'd experienced it. He wished he was the one dancing with her right now, the one she found happiness in, the one that made her smile everyday, but he had to face the truth; he was none of those things, he's just a guy who was too late to see what she really meant to him. Barry still lost in his thoughts asked for another two shots, taking one first followed by a sip of coke.

Suddenly a man sat on the stool beside him, his left arm on the counter.

"Mr. Allen?" The man with unmistakable voice mentioned him.

"Yes?" He turned his head to the man sitting there beside him. It was none other than Dr. Harrison Wells. The man he looked up to. His eyes widened realizing it was really him.

"Sorry sir! It's really an honor to meet you!" Barry felt a little embarrassed for answering so rudely and not paying attention, as his hand reached out.

"Please! It's quite a pleasure to meet someone like you too." Wells shook his hand and replied with a response that Barry didn't really know what the doctor meant.

"I'm sorry but what do you mean by that? I mean I'm not really much of a big deal haha." Barry laughed nervously before clearing his throat and keeping a more serious expression.

"Well you were one of the students that were quite exceptional in the field of science when I previewed the college reports a few years ago. You were one of those who I did take into consideration in hiring. But you decided to go in the path of forensics, which is quite unfortunate, that is for Tess and I. We would've loved to have worked with you at Star Labs be under different circumstances." Wells told Barry an unbelievable truth about his interest in him leaving Barry in shock, speechless in realization that THE Dr. Wells considered hiring him if he had not studied forensics. But he wanted to do forensics, in honor of his mother.

"Well, I guess that's my dream fulfilled in another life." Barry took a drink from his coke.

"Ah yes, dreams. You know dreams are quite interesting. They can be anything that we hope for, whether be it a job, a business, a house, a material belonging, a person to love...Have you ever been in love Mr. Allen?" Wells asked him a question that he never really expected Wells would ask.

"Yes, 3 times. I'm currently in love with someone I can't have all because I was simply too late." Barry answered as his eyes glanced at Caitlin who was still dancing merrily with Jay. This didn't go unnoticed by Wells, looking in the same direction as Barry did, seeing that his line of sight focused on Caitlin.

"I see. Love is a phenomenon itself. It is a feeling that is not easily understood and is difficult to explain in terms of science. It's something that really just comes and goes and it changes a person, be it for the better or for worse. Love is powerful, especially in romantic cases, it's really hard to control how you feel about an individual. It either feels good because you are with this person or it hurts because you stay hoping one day they'll come to you." Wells rambled on about love, but it was really the last line that caught Barry's attention.

"Mr. Allen, don't lose hope in your struggle with love. It took a few years for Tess and I to see that we belonged each other and in that time we saw other people, and you may have a similar case. Trust me Mr. Allen when I say that we all get second chances, it's all just a matter of how long we wait for it or if it is even worth the wait. Once again it was a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for coming to the party. I must go, Tess is probably looking for me" Wells concluded the conversation offering words of wisdom and again shook his hand before leaving Barry alone at the bar.

Barry thought about what Wells had said to him. Suddenly another person joined him at the bar, this time it was just Cisco sipping on a glass of Fanta and tapping along on his new tablet.

"Oh cool Jay's here." Cisco noticed the blonde who was dancing with Caitlin. "So what up's man? You look like you're a little stressed dude." Cisco took notice of Barry's blank expression.

"No..it's nothing..just a lot of things have been going on in my head lately." Barry told his friend as he ordered another shot, offering Cisco one which he gladly accepted. They both took their shots in synchronized motion and chased it down with their sodas.

"Things like what?" Cisco asked as he took out a packet of red liquorice from the inside of his blazer offering Barry some. Barry declined the kind offer of sweet treats.

"Just personal matters" Barry answered vaguely.

"Personal matters, such as how you head over heels for Caitlin?" He smirked at the brunette who now wore a surprised expression on his face.

"How does everyone know? Did Iris tell you too?" Barry rolled his eyes at the fact that nearly everyone close to him knew about his "thing" for Caitlin.

"Well, it's pretty easy if you're observant. You mannerisms when she's around you, how you stammer when she talks to you and the easiest clue ever was how you look at her; that's exactly how I looked at Bette when I first met her, when I fell for her. Barry you're not as sneaky as you think. If Caitlin didn't believe that you were only her close friend, I think she could've picked up signals by now." Cisco explained how he found out.

"Am I really that obvious?" Barry asked him, in slight disbelief. After all he did have years worth of experience with Iris back in high school but to see it just come crashing down because of Caitlin, really shook him up. He really was affected by her that much.

"Yes, so I think you should do a better job before Jay picks up on it too." Cisco advised his friend, maybe even warned him, as he chewed on some liquorice.

 _*11:57pm*_

The past few hours Barry spent at party was at the bar was with Cisco, occasionally Caitlin dropped by to ask for some drinks from the bartender or to say whats up but quickly returned to her boyfriend who sat at his own private table. Barry had to sit through almost four hours seeing the sweetness between Caitlin and Jay, their sweetness left him jealousy in return. Cisco was really there to distract him from being too caught up in his envy. The pain in his chest got worse and worse every time she rested her head on his shoulder or kissed him on the cheek.

Suddenly an announcement was made by Dr. Wells who stood at one of the podiums on stage.

"Attention ladies and gentlemen I'd like to inform you that there now only one minute left until New Year. So I would like to request for all of you to stand, a drink in your hand and count down a long with us." A timer counting down from 60 appeared on the screen behind him.

Doing as he told, everyone stood up including both Barry and Cisco and watched as the time wind down to 10 seconds. Only then did all the guests start counting down.

"10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1!...HAPPY NEW YEAR!" They all counted down and cheered; lifting their drinks and downing what ever was in it. Bright smiles appeared on everyone's faces as the celebrated the coming of the new year. Barry turned to Cisco and gave him a pound hug greeting him. It was then he caught sight of Caitlin and Jay. He watched as the two fulfilled a new years tradition; their heads tilted, their lips together, eyes closed yet happiness was clearly visible. Barry felt as if someone had ran behind him and jabbed a spear into his chest. That's what it felt like. His hands almost lost grip, his glass nearly dropping but he held it with just enough for to not let it fall. The smile he once had vanished. He placed his glass on the counter and fixed his suit straightening it. He cleared his throat before he spoke to Cisco.

"I think I'm gonna go now. Sorry if I can't bring you home. Here's 15 bucks for a taxi." Barry reached into his back pocket for his wallet and whipped out a five and a ten and a 20 for all the drinks he bought from the bar, handing 15 to Cisco and placing 20 on the counter.

"Thanks..but what's the rush? It's time to party dude!" Cisco put the $15 into his pocket for later and told him with a joyful voice.

"I'm...just not feeling well." Barry glanced at Caitlin and Jay, their lips still locked. "I'll see ya, okay" Barry held head down as he walked past Cisco and to the elevator. He soon exited the building and got into his car. He leaned his head against the steering wheel as the image of the Caitlin kissing Jay on the lips wouldn't escape his mind. His heart wouldn't stop aching, the feeling of his chest tightening. He couldn't get rid of it. He really was head over heels for her, even Iris didn't cause him this much pain back then. He needed to relax an just forget about it, hopefully _they'd_ be able to help, _they_ always did. Barry started the car and left the premises.

 _*Back at the party - Just after Barry left*_

Cisco scratched his head as Barry passed him. There was totally something up with him. He then turned to Caitlin and Jay who had just finished their kissing session. Their lips pulled away from each other, their eyes opening and their lips arching into loving smiles as they did. "Oh so that's why..." Cisco realized the truth behind Barry's departure. He then saw Caitlin rise and walk towards him.

"Hey! Happy New Year!" Caitlin greeted her best friend and hugged him.

"Happy New Year to you too!" Cisco replied as they separated. Caitlin's head then looked over his shoulder, her eyes on the empty barstool, where Barry had been sitting.

"Where's Barry?" Her eyebrows furrowed and her mouth to a slight pout as she asked for her other best friend's location.

"Oh yeah! Barry had to leave early, he wasn't feeling to good; had too much to drink." Cisco lied to Caitlin, to cover up for Barry.

"Hmmm...okay! I guess I'll text him instead." Caitlin wondered and answered. Barry usually wasn't the one to get drunk so easily. Maybe he was drinking too much tonight, it was new year after all.

"Alright I'm gonna go back to Jay and I'll catch ya later okay!" Caitlin told her friend.

"See ya" Cisco waved as Caitlin walked back to Jay.

*Iris and Eddie's Apartment - 1:18am*

Barry exhaled heavily as he knocked on the grey painted door. If there's anyone that could help him forget the pain tonight it was family.

"I'm sorry! Were we being too lou.." Iris stopped before finishing the question.

"Hey, Happy New Year! you got any room for more family inside?" He smiled weakly at her. Something was definitely bothering him.

"Happy New Year! Of course there is!" Iris hugged him and pulled him into the apartment. "Look who's arrived!" Iris yelled joyfully in the direction of the living room.

"Happy New Year Barry!" Joe and Eddie said at the same time, too focused and captured by the action of the football game currently running.

"Aye Bar there's some pizza and beer in the kitchen if want some. Eddie informed him about left over foods.

Barry unbuttoned and took his blazer off quickly transitioning to the kitchen to get some pizza and an ice cold beer before joining the guys on the couch watching football. Iris crossed her arms and smiled nothing was better than a new year with her family. She then joined taking her place beside Eddie and leaning her head on his shoulder. Barry raised his bottle of beer "Happy New Year to us!". Joe and Eddie copying him and gently tapping the bottom of their glass bottle together making a * _tink_ * sound before drinking it's contents. Barry still felt the pain but alcohol was there to numb it temporarily. Indeed it was a happy new year. Barry's drunk thoughts took over him as he blacked out on the couch, intoxication from the beer and tequila earlier were now taking effect.

End of Chapter 16

 ** _A/N: Jealous Barry is one of the most requested things from you guys ever since he started feeling something for Caitlin, so here you go! I hope that I showed it well in this chapter. Originally I wrote this as part of Ch15 but I felt that 7k+ words was a bit too much for one chapter, so like the Christmas chapters I split it in two! Anyways I hoped you liked it! Leave a review, I'd really appreciate it! Thanks for reading and until next time, I'll see ya!_**


	17. Chapter 17: Red Roses

U17

Chapter 17: Red Roses

 _ **A/N: Well here's Chapter 17! Earlier than when you expect it really but I had some time to write this weekend and I ended up finishing it! A lot of y'all left reviews last time and I was so happy to receive the feedback and that you're liking it so far, so I want to thank you all:**_

 _ **Spitfire303 - There was a New Years kiss just not the one you were expecting ;)**_

 _ **Raquel - Jay disappeared because he was spending time with his family, for Christmas and Was supposed to be with them for New Years but he decided to surprise Caitlin instead.**_

 _ **mr panda**_

 _ **01eggy10**_

 _ **Flash frost**_

 _ **Guest**_

 _ **MellowLimerence - thanks for giving your opinion towards the story. I really did take it into consideration that maybe I was moving a little too slow with it. So hopefully this chapter makes up for it. Feel free to give me more of what you think so I can try to improve on it!**_

 _ **So that's all of you reviewers I think? Thanks for reading the last two and enjoy!**_

The day of love and hearts had arrived and Barry couldn't stand still, he walked back and forth in his bedroom, occasionally stopping at the mirror to recite what he had to say.

"Hey Cait! I was wondering, maybe you'd like to grab some lunch with me?" He asked himself looking at his reflection. He took a deep breath, knowing that he really needed to calm down. He felt as if he never asked a girl out on a date before. Well it really wasn't a date, it was just two good friends having lunch like before and it just happened to be on Valentines Day. This was what Barry told himself trying not to make it obvious that he actually was asking her on a date.

Barry picked his phone up and read the time "11:26pm". He decided that it was probably time to go now. Taking one last deep breath, he inhaled and exhaled and then checked his outfit one more time. Barry had decided to wear a dark red shirt inside, over it a blue flannel left open and its sleeves rolled up, accompanied by a pair black skinny jeans and the Converse that Caitlin had given him for Christmas. He nodded to himself in the mirror confirming that he was good to go. He grabbed his car keys along with a single red rose he had bought earlier that morning and headed out to door, to his car.

The drive to Star Labs seemed relatively quicker that day, maybe Barry's head was just messing with him. A mix of nervousness and excitement was building inside him as he parked in front of the facility. He jogged into lobby where Mary the receptionist was behind her desk tapping on her phone.

"Mr. Allen! What brings you here today?" The bored receptionist asked as he came through the rotating door.

"I'm just waiting for Dr. Snow to come down from her lab." He replied with a smile. He could feel the butterflies in his stomach even though he was just standing there, holding the rose behind him.

"For her I'm guessing?" Mary tilted her head to the right, spotting the rose that Barry held behind him. Barry nodded his head in reply, a cheeky smile on his face.

He heard the elevator make it's iconic ding as it arrived followed the sound of heels tapping on the floor. Barry could feel himself tensing up already but somehow he managed to stay calm. Caitlin rounded the corner not noticing Barry at first. She waved at Mary a friendly smile on her face before she actually saw her friend standing in front of her.

"Hey Barry! What are you doing here?" She asked him curious about his sudden appearance.

Barry opened his mouth but no words were coming out. "Come on Barry! You can't choke now!" He told himself. He glanced over to Mary who was waiting for him to ask Caitlin out. His eyes then back at Caitlin who awaited his response.

"I wanted to...ask..if you'd like to.." Barry said slowly and paused again. "God damn Barry just spit it out!" His inner conscience screamed at him.

"If I'd like to what? Caitlin asked, wanting him to finish his question.

"If you'd like to g..." Barry finally began to complete his question when Jay rounded the corner and put his arm around Caitlin's waist

"There you are. Hey Barry." Jay took a moment to wave at him. "So you wanna go grab some lunch or something" Jay asked her.

"Yeah sound great but wait Barry's asking me something.." She replied to Jay before her attention came back to her friend.

"You know what..It's not really important anyway. You guys can go." Barry said, feeling a sense of disappointment inside but smiled at the couple to hide it.

"Are you sure?" Caitlin asked with concern.

"Yeah. You guys can go" Barry told them.

"Okay. Call me if you need anything then. Bye!" Caitlin said as Jay and her passed Barry turning right towards the hallway leading to the employee's parking.

"Bye!" Barry responded turning around quickly as they passed making sure they wouldn't see the rose still in his hand.

"So what happened there?" Mary broke the silence.

"I choked" Barry replied with a sigh. The elevator dinged again and out came Cisco who walked to the receptionist desk.

"Hey Mary!" Cisco happily greeted her. "What's up Barry!? What are you doing here man!?" He asked as he noticed his friend.

"I'll tell you over lunch" Barry told him with a smile.

"Alright, who's driving?" Cisco agreed.

"I'll drive. But before we go..Happy Valentines Day" Barry gave the rose to Mary instead, before he and Cisco left the building through the rotating door.

"What was that about?" Cisco laughed at his friend as they walked.

"I told you I'll tell you over lunch. Now come on!" Barry brought Cisco to his car and then drove to a local food hall.

 _*Coast to Coast Food Hall*_

"So I presume you didn't actually come to Star Labs today to give Mary a flower and pick me up for lunch" Cisco spoke as he stabbed into the sauce covered hill of rice, chicken and lettuce on his plate.

"I was going to ask Caitlin out for lunch, but I choked and I missed out on an opportunity." Barry nonchalantly told his friend the truth. Over the past month he had been hanging around with Cisco more, ever since the New Years Party.

"Wow, you are really out of form now when it comes to being confident." Cisco commented.

"I know and it sucks! Love affects people in mysterious ways I guess." Barry admitted shaking his head as he dug into his own kebab. "What about Beth? What are you guys doing for today?" Barry changed the subject from him to Cisco.

"Well considering she's still far away. We'll probably just Skype later." Cisco replied telling Barry about his plans later that day.

"I've got nothing to do tonight. Movie marathon at your place?" Barry suggested looking up at Cisco.

"Lord of the Rings, some pizza, some beer and you've got yourself a deal Mr. Allen." Cisco laughed as he set the conditions.

"Deal" Barry giggled and then took a sip of his drink.

The two finished their lunch and went back to Star Labs to drop Cisco off. Barry went to the precinct to continue his work that day after requesting a few hours off, which he planned to use if Caitlin had gone to lunch with him.

 _*Later that night*_

Barry held another rose in his hand as he contemplated giving it to Caitlin. He sat in his car which was parked just a few minutes away from her apartment, silent and staring at the rose he held. What happens if he does give her this rose? Would it mean anything to her? These were the questions running around his mind. He took a deep breath like he usually did when he needed to calm down and told himself "whatever happens next. Let's hope it will be better.". Barry finally got out of his car and made his way to her front door. He walked in a slower pace still unsure of what she'll think and how'll she react.

He got closer and closer to the door, all he had to do was cross the street, when suddenly a familiar car pulled up in front of the apartment and out came Jay Garrick with a bouquet of flowers. Barry stopped and stood behind a nearby tree as if he was a spy taking cover. He peeked out watching Jay knock on her door which immediately opened, revealing Caitlin in a beautiful grey dress. She took the bouquet from his hands as he escorted her to the car. Barry could only guess that they were going on a date. Barry looked at his single red rose, the rose that he wasn't able to give her. If only he had given his first rose and didn't choke on his words then maybe he wouldn't be in this position right now. He sighed as he dropped the rose on the ground and walked back to his car, once again feeling disappointed with himself. He was never fast enough.

*Cisco's Apartment*

There hadn't been a movie night at Cisco's place in awhile, but since this movie marathon that he and Barry were going to have was similar, he decided to make his traditional homemade guac like he did in every movie night. Barry knocked on the door and heard Cisco yell "It's open!". He struggled to open the door with one arm occupied by a box of beer bottles and his other hand occupied by a large pepperoni and extra cheese pizza but eventually he got it. He brought the goods in, Cisco helping him with the pizza, carrying it to the coffee table with one hand and his phone with the other.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow okay Bettey-boo! Love you! Goodnight!" Cisco said sweetly to Bette who was on Skype with him.

"Love you too Ciscobear! Goodnight!" She replied with the same sweetness.

Barry laughed silently as he place the box of beers in the kitchen and began putting them into the fridge, leaving two out for them to drink while the others chilled.

"Bettey-boo huh" he smirked at Cisco as he handed him the bottle of beer.

"Hey who's the one with the girlfriend here!?" Cisco joked

"Touché" Barry laughed as they sat down on the sofa.

"Alright let's get this started then!" Cisco grabbed the remote and was about to pressed play, the movie immediately starting.

"To being nerds on Valentines Day?" He asked Cisco raising his bottle slightly.

"Cheers!" Cisco exclaimed as they both took a swig of their drinks.

*A few days later*

Barry parked his car just in front of Jitters. He was in dire need of some morning coffee. Watching a marathon of The Simpsons last night was probably not one of his brightest ideas. He pushed the door open, the bell ringing alerted the workers that a customer had arrived as well as waking him up a little bit. Luckily there was currently no queue at the cafe since he had got there pretty early.

"Good morning Iris" Barry greeted his best friend behind the counter in a tired voice.

"And good morning to you too you sleepy head! I told you not to watch that marathon." Iris responded full of energy.

"But it was so funny and the nostalgia!" Barry laughed explaining himself. "Anyway can I get my regular and two BLTs" Barry ordered rubbing his eyes.

"One for you and one for my dad?" Iris asked about the sandwiches as she turned to make his coffee and wrap the BLTs.

"Nope. All mine." Barry told her with a smirk. Truth be told he was really hungry that morning.

"Here you go!" Iris handed the coffee and a paper bag.

"Thanks Iris! I'll see ya later!" Barry paid and was about to leave when she grabbed his arm, pulling him back

"Wait! I was wondering if you'd be interested in this, she handed Barry a flier. _"The Euphoria Bar's Karaoke Night, Downtown Central City, 5% off all alcoholic beverages all night long if you get on stage! Sing it loud and please the crowd!; sponsored by Jitter's Cafe Central City"_ he examined the flier in his hand, reading the text printed on it. "Iris you know I don't s..." Barry was cut off mid sentence by his persistent best friend. "No, don't give this "I don't sing" crap; the last time you said something like that was in high school. We both entered the talent show and you ended up winning. Plus it'll be fun! I'll bring Eddie so it'll bring back some that "nostalgia" and you bring Cisco...and Caitlin. We'll have a jolly good time! So whatcha say!?" Iris brought out her puppy eyes and for Barry they were so hard to resist; they have been ever since they were young. Iris often used them to get what she wanted and 98% of the time it did work. Barry rolled his eyes, the power of Iris' puppy eyes have succeeded again.

"Fine I'll ask them later." he agreed to tell his friends about the event and whether or not they'd like to come. "Yes! This is going to be awesome! Be there at 8pm" Iris cheered.

"Okay. Thanks Iris, I'll be going now." Barry tried to leave the cafe but once again Iris had stopped him.

"Wait can you tell how that song goes again? The one from the finals? Doesn't it go like "Ooooo baby give me one more chance! To show that I love you!"" Iris teased Barry about his singing in his high school days.

"Goodbye Iris!" Barry smiled and shook his head, waving his hand as he reached the exit of the cafe.

Getting back into his car, he first decides to text his friends at Star Labs.

 _"Are you both free tonight?"_ Barry tapped send and turned the car's ignition. He got out of the parking space and made his way to the precinct. On his way he received texts back from both Caitlin and Cisco.

 _"I am. Why?"_ he read Caitlin's message first, then switched to Cisco's.

 _"Yessir! What's up?"_

He couldn't text back immediately because he was driving but once he arrived at the precinct he did.

 _"Sorry if I couldn't reply quickly (I was driving) Would guys be down for some karaoke?"_ He asked them through text. A few minutes later the two replied.

 _"I don't know...who else is coming?"_

Caitlin seemed unsure. She wasn't a singer, not at all, in fact despite her being talented with musical instruments she couldn't to save her life.

 _"So down! Love karaoke! Where and what time?"_ Cisco was alreadyexcited. Barry could almost imagine his friend's wide grin.

 _"It's gonna be at the Euphoria Bar and Eddie are coming with us. We're going to be there at around 8pm."_ Barry gave the details to both Caitlin and Cisco.

 _"Count me in! I'll see y'all later"_ Cisco send his last message with obvious excitement.

"I still don't know if I should go." Caitlin replied after reading the details.

"Please Cait come with us! It'll be fun! Trust me." Barry tried to convince the doctor. It took her a few minutes to reply, she was probably thinking about it or Cisco was busy convincing her.

 _"I'll see you guys at 8"_ Barry phone vibrated, receiving Caitlin's confirmation. He cheered inside as he read it. There was a song that already came to mind that he'd sing.

 _*Euphoria Bar - 8pm*_

Barry, Iris, Eddie and Cisco all sat at one table, conversing as they waited for Caitlin. They laughed and joked as they listened to people carelessly sing off key most likely for the 5% of alcoholic beverages, although some of them did have actual singing voices. Iris explained to Cisco about the whole deal about the 5% discount which made him more excited to get on stage. Iris was currently wearing an orange dress that cut just above her knees and along with black cardigan and heels. Eddie beside her wore a simple grey button up with it's sleeves rolled up and jeans. Cisco wore his casual outfit consisting of a red graphic t-shirt, an opened green flannel, skinny jeans and maroon vans. Barry wore a blue sweater with a white t-shirt under it, khaki slim fit jeans and as usual a pair of Converse. They all watched the door as it opened, waiting for the bio-engineer to walk through it. When Caitlin arrived all of them were stunned at how beautiful she looked. She wore sparkly black dress which cut high above her knees, the neck of the dress cut into a v shape revealing part of her chest and black high heels gave her a little height. The ends of her auburn were curled and a light application of make up on her face.

"Feel free to buy yourself that dress" Eddie whispered into his girlfriend's ear as Caitlin approached the table. Iris nodded but still stared at Caitlin in astonishment.

Barry's breath was taken away when Caitlin arrived, one second he was smiling and joking and the next he found his mouth open and his eyes focused at the girl he was in love with.

"What?" Caitlin asked as she arrived at the table, becoming a little insecure of what she was wearing.

"Nothing..you look really nice" Barry was the only one to speak up from the starstruck group. A smile grew on his face as she sat down beside him.

"Well I don't always dress like a high school principal" She joked taking her seat.

"So where's Jay?" Iris asked after she placing a welcoming kiss on the cheek Caitlin.

"Oh he's on a business trip right now. He won't be back for a couple of days." Caitlin replied smiling brightly.

"Now that we're all here how about we go up on stage one by one?" Cisco suggested.

"Yes let's do this!" Iris cheered excitedly.

Once the stage was vacant Cisco took his opportunity to get on stage and chose the song he wished to serenade the crowd with. Cisco impressively sang along to "Can You Do This?" by Aloe Blacc, really amusing the crowd, getting them to stand and clap as he sang.

The people to come up next were Iris and Eddie who did a duet singing to "My Girl" by The Temptations. They earned a large round of applause and many "they're so cute" comments as they sang, on key and in harmony.

Iris got off the stage running down to Barry, getting him to stand up and get on stage while Eddie rally upped the crowd to chant "Barry"

"Come on Barry for old time sake." Barry glanced at Caitlin and Cisco who both told him to go and so he did.

"You remember semi finals right?" Eddie asked him silently before the familiar song started. Barry nod his head saying yes. He had to admit he was pretty nervous, he hasn't sung in a really long while. The opening beat of "Uptown Girl" started playing and Barry unconsciously started to sway to music as Eddie started off like he did back then when they first performed it in high school.

"So does Barry sing?" Caitlin asked as she watched Eddie begin the performance.

"Does he sing!? Oh yes he does! He used to be in a music group with Eddie!" Iris laughed and smiled with pride.

When it got to Barry's part of the song he naturally just went in and sang his heart out. His voice was perfectly on key and he couldn't believe it because it had been so long. At that moment he rediscovered his love for singing.

The performance earned them countless rounds of applause and "woos!" and from the manager an extra 5% off their drinks. Eddie left Barry on stage after deciding he wanted to sing a solo song. He recalled his experience from the Valentines Day that recently past and chose the song he wanted to sing. He smiled at how accurately it portrayed his situation that day. "Red Roses" by AJ Rafael started to play, Barry looked at Caitlin as he began;

 _"There you are with your light brown hair, apologize 'cause that I did was stare..."_

Iris glanced at Caitlin at the mention of light brown hair and also noticed Cisco who smiled goofily knowing that this song practically described what happened to Barry on Valentines Day.

 _"I wish I would've asked you out! I wished I didn't have these doubts! About myself! For those three minutes! That you stood in front of me!"_ Barry continued to sing glancing over at Caitlin who was watching him.

 _"I wish I hadn't walked away! I wish I had the guts to say! Would you mine? I wished I wouldn't you to be my valentine!"_

Caitlin swore that she saw Barry occasionally looking at her during the song. But why would he do that? The song is practically for someone who's in love so why would Barry be looking at her? That would be crazy, right? Barry being in love with her? It doesn't matter anyway, my feelings for him are gone, he's just a friend to you Caitlin. Right? You have a boyfriend and you are are happy. These thoughts and questions about Barry started flooding her mind again.

Barry got off the stage, a large applause as he made his way back to the table. When he sat down, a young woman dressed in leather approached their table and placed a napkin with a phone number on it. "Call me and maybe I can be your valentine." She told him suggestively and winked at him. Caitlin without even thinking about it glared at her. Barry just replied with a smile and when she went away laughed.

"I missed you singing so much!" Iris said high fiving him. "So Caitlin are you gonna sing for us?" She turned her attention the brunette who was taking sips of her cocktail. Caitlin was hoping no one would ask her to sing.

"Oh no I'm a terrible singer. I'd make people's ears bleed." Caitlin told them honestly but they thought it was a joke.

"It doesn't matter. We're all just having fun anyway. Let their ears bleed!" Iris tried to encourage her.

"Yeah come on Cait!" Cisco insisted.

"Barry can even go up there with you! You guys can sing a duet!" Iris added looking over to her best friend signaling for him to encourage her. Barry didn't say anything, he just gave Caitlin a look and held out his hand. The same look he gave her when she asked her to dance with him. She thought about it and grabbed her glass of tequila.

"Here's to liquid courage!" She exclaimed and quickly drank the contents of the glass, leaving the group amazed again.

"That was quick" Barry commented on her drinking as he escorted her to the stage.

The two decided to sing "Summer Nights" which was one of the few upbeat songs Caitlin liked. At first she was scared but having Barry be there with her on stage gave her confidence. Her voice was off key but it wasn't too bad. Midway through the song she just let loose and didn't care what the people would say anymore. She was having fun...with Barry.

They laughed as the stepped off the stage, Caitlin couldn't believe that she had just sang in front of a crowd. As they passed through the tables a lady stopped them and told them "You two were adorable!".

"Thank you but we're not a two" Barry and Caitlin said at the same time, making them look at each other, both of them blushing.

They got back to the table where Iris told them the same thing. Once again making them blush. In those moments it was like Caitlin had forgot about having Jay in her life, whenever her and Barry's eyes met, all she could do is smile; those green eyes, the ones she fell for back then. For Barry, he was enjoying everyone's company, especially Caitlin's. He hadn't hung around her like they use to ever since he discovered his feeling for her. He always felt so nervous and awkward around her since then but that night he was comfortable, he was able to talk to her and was able to look her straight in the eye without having to look away. Iris smiled as she noticed the two bonding with each other. She had never seen Barry this happy with a girl before.

The night ended with a drunk Cisco Ramon, leaving Barry and Caitlin to bring him home to his apartment. Caitlin didn't bring a car, expecting that she could get drunk that night but in fact she remained quite sober. She had spent all night talking to Iris and Barry, but mostly Barry. When they arrived at Cisco's apartment, they helped him get to his bed and left a bottle of water and a container of painkillers for the hangover on his bedside table. After that Barry drove Caitlin back to her own apartment and escorted her to her door.

"Thanks for tonight by the way. I was able to show my inner diva!" She joked, thanking Barry.

"It really was fun. I got to relive my high school music career! I should be thanking you for coming along! I'm sure it wouldn't have been the same without you." Barry replied to her sweetly a natural shade of pink appeared on her cheeks.

"Yeah I guess it wouldn't have" she smiled at him. There was this weird fuzzy feeling in her chest after Barry told her that and she couldn't explain what it was.

There was a moment of silence between the two, similar to the one they had saying goodbye on Christmas; a moment where they would just smile and look into each others eyes.

"So I'll see you around?" Barry asked her.

"Yes, I'll see you around." She giggled as she turned to unlock her door. Barry stood there waiting for her to get into her apartment.

"Goodnight" she turned to Barry and like an instinct gave him a hug.

"Goodnight" Barry flushed surprised when her arms came around him. He closed his eyes for a second and smiled and told her goodnight.

They pulled apart and again had a silent moment but this time they were closer. Barry felt the urge and lean in for a kiss but he knew it would've been wrong to do that so he just smiled warmly at her and left as she got into her apartment.

Caitlin felt some kind of attraction towards Barry when she was up close to him; she felt that she was missing something, a feeling of cold emptiness was on her lips as Barry left. She closed the door behind her, running her fingers through her hair. She couldn't stop smiling. She felt **it** ; **it** had returned that night, and she didn't know if **it** was a bad or good thing. Her phone vibrated in her purse, a text from Jay. Reality just hit her again. She had a boyfriend who she cared for too.

End of Chapter 17

 _ **A/N: So the latter part of this chapter is loosely based off of 1x12 except no drunk Caitlin (sorry) Maybe I could bring her in another chapter? Anyways I hoped you liked this one. Just wanted to point out how Iris ships snowbarry in this chapter xD If you guys want to imagine Barry and Eddie singing "Uptown Girl" just search the Glee version of the song because that's what gave me the idea of them singing together! If you want to imagine Barry singing "I want you back" also search the Glee version! Also check out Red Roses by AJ Rafael which is the song the inspired me to write this one! Again hope y'all enjoyed, leave a review telling me what you thought about it! Until next chapter, adios!**_


	18. Chapter 18: Together at The Coast

_**A/N: I'd like to apologize for the wait for this chapter! I was busy last week and the past two days I've been procrastinating :/ Anyway I finally got it done and it turned out to to be super long (6k+) I've decided to not cut this in half and just keep it together . I'd like to thank all my reviewers, you play a factor in why I love writing fics and why I continue to! With all that of that done and dusted here's Unexpectedly 18!**_

It was a Saturday morning, Caitlin sat up from her bed a little bummed out that she had no work that day. She was really unsure of what she should do, she had no plans (surprisingly), Jay wasn't going to come back for another day or two, Cisco was the one who had work; essentially she was bored and it was only the start of the day. She rose from her bed feeling the need to do something like cook some breakfast for herself or clean the house; despite it being already spotless. She brushed her hair briefly and then grabbed her phone from her bedside table just incase she got a call from the lab telling her to come immediately, which she was really hoping would happen.

Caitlin took heavy steps down the stairs making a "thump" sound on the carpet whenever she landed. She walked to the kitchen yawning and stretching her arms and opened the fridge to acquire the ready-made pancake mix she bought from a store a few days ago. Usually she would've made her own batter but she was feeling lazy today. Grabbing the pan that hung right above the stove, she then twisted the knob igniting the flame. She placed the pan on the heat, then applied a small chunk of butter, leaving it to melt and sizzle as she prepared some coffee.

Walking back over the stove she uncapped the bottle of pancake mix and poured approximately two table spoons worth of mix onto the hot pan. She then spread is out, leaning the pan towards multiple directions to allow the pancake to become the size of the circumference of the pan. She repeated these steps until she had a triple stack, before leaving the kitchen with a plate of pancakes drizzled with maple syrup in one hand and a mug of coffee in another. She sat down on the couch legs crossed and turned the tv on, only to have news about a murder in an alleyway being reported. She switched the channel deciding that now wasn't the time for such terrible news.

She devoured the pancakes one sweet fluffy piece at a time. For ready-made pancake mix pancakes they were quite delectable, Caitlin thought as she ate yet another piece. She relaxed on the couch, her eyes focused on the documentary about conspiracy theories. The plate of pancakes now just crumbs lay on the coffee table along with her empty mug. She sighed and threw her head back in boredom. Never in her life did she have absolutely nothing to do.

The past few days had been great, there was that one night when she went to the bar with Iris, Barry, Eddie and Cisco; Cisco ending up being drunk by the end of the night, that other day when she went shopping with Iris and another day where they had dinner at Iris' apartment. She needed something to do or someone to talk to. She decided to wash her dish and her mug to keep herself occupied. As she wiped the plate dry she received a message from Iris.

 _"Good morning Caitlin! I found this in an old hard drive and I thought I'd send it to you and Cisco. Hopefully it'll give a good start to your day!"_

She returned to her couch, getting back into the same position as earlier and clicked to the file attached to the message, which appeared to be a video file. She then connected her phone to the tv to get a better view of the video. The film began with a shaky camera but soon stabilized. A full auditorium was revealed when it did. The camera zoomed in and focused on the dark stage. Within the darkness she could make up 5 figures standing their backs turned to the audience. The sound of Iris and Joe's voice could be heard whispering in the background, excitement was obvious from the way they spoke. Suddenly a voice echoed through the auditorium.

 _"And now for our third grand finalist! Please welcome Energy Rush!"_

The voice was followed by an incredible applause and roaring screams of what Caitlin could only describe as teenage girls. Lights finally lit the stage up and from it revealed 5 guys with ear pieces with microphones, all at similar height. They wore semi formal attire; mainly consisting of white button ups, black jeans, ties, vests, sneakers and suspenders which hung down from their waists; only really for aesthetic. The first four turned around and began to harmonize and lightly dance, snapping their fingers. Caitlin immediately recognized a young Eddie Thawne and noticed that not much had changed except now he often wore a beard on his face. The last one to turn around was one who she would never fail to recognize, the short slightly combed brown hair, the slender structure, the height and the smooth charming voice, it was no doubt Barry Allen. "I Want You Back" by the Jackson 5 was never really a song she jammed along to but after listening to Barry's voice singing the song , she may consider listening to it. Not only did Barry sing wonderfully, he was dancing like a professional; his slick movements as he sang really impressed Caitlin and when he looked up and winked at the camera, a smile stretched across her face and she couldn't make it go away. The performance ended with a standing ovation and again the high pitched screams of teenage girls.

Suddenly there was a knock on her door. She quickly got on her feet, she wasn't expecting any visitors today but whoever this was she hoped that it was a friend of hers. She looked through the peephole and noticed that it was Barry. "Oh my god" Caitlin exclaimed under her breath, feeling a little conscious about her laid back getup consisting of leggings and a sleeveless shirt. With no time to change she just relaxed and fixed her hair. She opened the door with a smile on her face.

"Hey!" She greeted him, partially hiding her body behind the door.

"Hey! Are you okay?" Barry asked lifting his eye brow.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Come in" She answered as the tall brunette entered her premises.

"Well it looks like you've had a productive morning" Barry commented turning around to wait for Caitlin to lock the door.

"I just woke up like an hour ago and I've got nothing to do! I got a little lazy. I just feel a little underdressed right now. I wasn't really expecting a visitor to come by this early" She scratched her head, explaining her situation to Barry.

"You look good to me" Barry flashed her a smile before walking to the living room. No matter what she was dressed Caitlin always looked beautiful to him. Caitlin's cheeks turned a shade of pink from the compliment as she followed Barry.

"So why are you here if you don't mind me asking?" She watched Barry as he removed his coat and placed it on the couch.

"Cisco texted me that you might be bored since you don't have work today. So I decided to come and visit you." Barry replied.

"Thanks I appreciate you being here." Her lips formed a smile. She felt warm inside that Barry had come to give her some company.

"No problem. Oh actually I wanted to ask you something. Since you're not doing anything, I was wondering if, you'd like to Coast City with...me?" Barry inadvertently asked her out.

"Coast City?" Caitlin crossed her arms.

"Yeah one of my friends from college. He invited me over but I really didn't want to go alone..so yeah...wanna come with?" Barry explained to the curious Caitlin.

"Okay!" Caitlin accepted the invitation excitedly. "Sure" she cleared her throat and accepted in a more calmly, feeling a little embarrassed by how excited she got. "Actually you have to sing for me first." She added smirking.

"Really?" Barry huffed and then asked what song.

"Yes really. How about "I Want You Back" by Jackson 5" Caitlin requested wanting to hear Barry singing it live.

"Wow, so specific. Let me guess Iris sent you the video didn't she." Barry guessed why she had requested such a song.

"Yep, now sing! Please" She commanded him adding "please" and a smile at the end.

"Ooooooo let me tell you now! Oooo! When I had you to myself, I didn't want you around!" Barry mirrored the smile and shook his head before beginning to sing for the girl in front of him. Surprisingly he still knew the lyrics.

Caitlin admired the man serenading her, his green orbs that looked straight at her as he began to dance a little while he sang perfectly. Caitlin just stood there a smile on her face that couldn't be wiped off. When the song finished she gave applauded and Barry bowed as if finishing a performance.

"Barry Allen scientist, athlete, singer and dancer. What can't you do?" Caitlin told him, amusement clearly on her face.

"Just go get ready" Barry laughed telling her to go upstairs.

Caitlin quickly made her way up to her room, taking a fast shower, brushing her teeth, putting on a light layer of make up and dressing herself. She chose to wear something casual, there was no need for dresses that day; a good pair of skinny jeans, a blouse and boots worked fine. Taking her bag and a jacket, she returned downstairs where Barry was patiently waiting for her.

"I'm ready!" Caitlin shouted happily to Barry who's attention was on his phone until she came down from upstairs.

Barry walked up to her, his smile directed at her as he got closer and closer. Caitlin felt her heart beat faster as he did. Ever since the night of karaoke she had been experiencing things she had felt before for Barry, still unsure if it was right to feel that way for him while being in a relationship she tries to ignore them.

"You okay?" Barry asked as he caught her staring at him.

"Huh yeah! Let's go." Caitlin broke out of the familiar trance her cheeks a rosy colour once again. She unlocked the door and they both exited her apartment to Barry's car.

Like the gentleman Barry was he opened the door for her and awaited for her to get in before he did. Caitlin took the passenger seat where she usually sat comfortably but now sitting beside him made her feel nervous again. Barry got in from the driver side and started the car then typed the location into his navigator before switching to the first gear; a 45 minute journey awaited them.

During the journey they found themselves discretely eying each other, whenever Caitlin wasn't looking Barry would be and whenever Barry wasn't looking Caitlin would be, occasionally their eyes would meet and they would just awkwardly exchanged smiles. Of course they didn't just stay silent the whole journey, other than secretly having feelings for each other, they were also best friends, they chatted about recently occurrences in their lives, funny moments, annoying moments, random things like that. They also sang along to the songs that played on the radio which they were familiar with; well really what Barry knew, Caitlin just tried to sing along humming the lyrics whenever she didn't know. What was expected to be a long journey seemed to be cut in half.

Caitlin brought out her phone as they closed in on the "Welcome to Coast City" sign.

"Hey Barry, can we pull over there real quick?" Caitlin pointed in the direction of sign phone in hand.

"Sure" Barry pulled the car over near the sign and both of them getting out of the car, feeling the chilling breeze of the wind caused by the ocean close by Caitlin ran over to the sign which was not as big as she expected it to be. She stood just in front of it just far enough so that her front facing camera could capture the whole thing including her. She then noticed Barry leaning against his car smiling as he watched her taking a selfie.

"What are you standing there for!? Come over here!" She invited him to join her in the picture. Barry laughed and jogged to her, placing himself behind her, leaning down so that his head was just at her shoulder. Barry felt the butterflies in his stomach as he did. Having Barry so close to her neck had the same effect on Caitlin. They took 6 pictures, a set of 3 for each of their phones.

They returned to the vehicle and continued their drive then passed through the city and came into a highway. At this point Caitlin wondered where Barry was actually taking her in Coast City and so she asked him.

"Oh sorry I forgot to mention we're going to Ferris Aviation Research Facility. My friend works there" Barry told her as he took the exit with the Ferris Aviation sign above it.

"Okay" Caitlin simply replied. She had heard of the company before. They specialized in the testing and research of possible improvement in aircrafts. Internally Caitlin felt a little excited. She had always been an avid fan of innovation in technology.

They approached the guarded entrance, the security asking Barry for our and for a key card which Barry produced from his pocket. Once they were cleared Barry drove into the facility, taking multiple turns and passing a multitude of parked jets and helicopters. They stopped and parked in front of a hangar numbered 47, both of them getting out and walking through the small metal door. Immediately they were met by a smile, a young man with short brown hair and rigid features, standing 6 ft tall wearing a bomber jacket, cargo pants, boots and a plain white t-shirt.

"Barry! How you doing bro!?" The man approached Barry giving him a pound hug.

"Not much man! How about you!?" A smile on Barry's face, happy to see his friend again.

"Same old, same old. Carol, planes, flying" The man replied with a shrug.

Meanwhile Caitlin stood back her hands interlocking in front of her, not wanting to interrupt an obvious reunion between longtime friends.

"And who might that be?" The man took notice of Caitlin over Barry's shoulder. The two now approached her. The man hand out for a handshake. "Harold Jordan but you can just call me Hal" The man introduced himself to Caitlin.

"Dr Caitlin Snow" She shook his hand, giving him a smile.

"So Barry when were you you going to tell me about her?" He looked to Barry with a smirk. Caitlin cheeks turned rosy, once again another person suspecting them of being in a relationship together.

"Oh no we're not together. She's just a good friend of mine." Barry flushed at his friends false observation although he actually wished that they were together.

"Hm I see. Alright let me tour you around the place, you guys up for that?" Hal offered

"Yeah sure" Barry accepted the offer after earning a nod from Caitlin.

Hal brought the two brunettes around the hangars, showing them the various jets, planes and even drones that they had been working on. Caitlin and Barry were left fascinated by all the things Hal was presenting to them.

"And finally here is my most precious baby right here" Hal leaned against the customized fighter jet, a prideful grin on his face as he presented his most prized possession.

"F-22 Raptor?" Caitlin recognized the model of the fighter jet. Barry lifted his eyebrow surprised with Caitlin's knowledge of the model.

"Yes, but customized to be lighter, faster and it has this dope green and black paint job. I call it "The Green Spectre!" Hal explained the customizations made. "Well that's pretty much it for the facility..actually..Barry you wanna jump?" Hal asked Barry.

"Hell yeah! Let's go!" Barry replied excitedly. Caitlin gave him a curious look, "what does he mean by jump?" she thought.

The three made their way back to hangar 47 where they suited up in jumpsuits, gloves and special shoes that Caitlin could only guess where to endure high impact. Hal told her that they were just to give better footing while you're in the plane but she was skeptical about the idea. After getting ready they boarded a small plane that could fit around ten people.

"So guys this is my co-pilot Tom Kalmaku." The co-pilot waved to the two at the back of the plane as Hal introduced him. Barry and Caitlin waved back with a friendly smile.

The plane soon took off and reached the correct altitude. Suddenly a green light turned on and started blinking. Caitlin overheard the whispers of the pilots at the front. "You good on your own?" and a confident "Of course" was what she heard between the two pilots. Then Hal got out of his seat and moved to the back signaling Barry with his thumb.

"Hey Cait come up there with me?" Barry asked her to go with him to the front.

"Why?" Caitlin asked nervously.

"There's a better view from there!" Barry told her, receiving a skeptical looking from the bio-engineer. "I promise I won't do anything! Trust me" he smiled at her. Caitlin rolled her eyes as she gave in to his pleas. They moved up the plane to where Hal had been hunching. Barry smirked at his friend and Hal nodding his head in agreement. Caitlin looked through the window on the door, distracted by the beautiful view of Coast City up above. While distracted Barry put on the skydiving apparatus, goggles and a helmet.

"Here put this on so you can see it better." Barry placed the goggles over Caitlin's eyes who's skepticism grew. "And this too" Barry then placed a helmet on her head and locked it place.

"Barry what are you doing?" She asked wanting to turn around, but Barry had stopped her.

"One more thing" Barry almost to a whisper got close behind Caitlin, causing her to blush, feeling his presence a few inches from her back. Barry hooked her onto his apparatus and made sure everything was secure.

"I said there'd be a better view..I'm going to give you one." Barry said in a mischievous tone as he opened the the sliding door in front of them, the sound of racing winds filled their ears.

"Barry..I swear you better not!" Caitlin warned him

"Too late!" He laughed as he jumped off the plane with her connected to his front.

"Barry! Don't you dare! I swear I'm going to murder you! OH MY GOOOOOOOOD!" Caitlin screamed as she felt her feet lose the feeling of flooring and only feeling the wind pushing against her as they fell at a high velocity, thousands of feet in the sky. She tried to cover her eyes with her hands but Barry grabbed her arms making them form acute angles. "Arms out!" he told her happily as he did. She attempted to closed her eyes instead hoping they would reach the ground soon.

"Caitlin! Relax! Breathe in the fresh air! Have fun!" Barry advised her despite the loud winds making it difficult to communicate. Caitlin opened her eyes, feeling the rush of adrenaline coursing through her body. She had to admit, this was pretty fun. Her lips stretched into a smile as she cheered "WOOOOOOOO!". Barry laughed at the sound of her cheering, he was happy she was enjoying it. Hal who followed after them came close to them waving his hand. Barry gave him a salute while Caitlin waved back with a large grin on her face. She was loving this.

"And now for the part you've been waiting for!" Barry exclaimed before pulling the key releasing the parachute from it's casing. Caitlin immediately felt a tug as soon as the parachute expanded, reducing their speed. Floating in the sky, Caitlin took in the amazing view of Coast City. This was definitely much better than looking through a window she thought to herself in astonishment. She observed the deep blue sea sparkling as the sun reflected off of it, the white sand beach, the crowded boardwalk right beside it, the tall buildings of the city. It was simply breathtaking. After a few more minutes they land at the drop zone which Barry precisely maneuvered the parachute towards. Caitlin's feet once again touching down on solid ground, she felt a sense of relief to be back on stable footing, although she would've liked to feel the exhilaration of jumping off of a plane for a second time. Once Barry unhooked her from him she turned to him and hit him on the shoulder.

"Ow!" Barry rubbing the part that Caitlin hit, for a small person she was quite strong "What was that for!?" He asked her slightly in pain

"That is for pushing me out a plane without warning! And this is for giving me a great first experience sky diving." She gave him a hug, making Barry's cheeks go red.

"Your..Welcome" He said a little flustered. He smiled and longed he could stay in her arms much longer, her warmth gave him comfort. His free arm going to her back, hugging her.

"Ahem! Sorry am I interrupting something?" Hal called from behind them, causing the two to quickly break apart and feeling a bit awkward. "Anyway Carol just texted me, she said she made lunch reservations at the sea food restaurant beachside and she insists you come and by insists she means you should come." Hal told the two with a voice that had a hint of fear. Barry and Caitlin giggled noticing that fear. "You think I'm joking? I being serious here!" He told them keeping the slightly terrified tone.

"Sure we'd love to" Caitlin replied.

"Good. Let's go change." Hal was glad to know that the two accepted the invitation. The three walked back to hangar 47 where the plane they took to go up was already parked. Quickly removing all the safety gear, the apparatus, the gloves, the shoes and the jumpsuits, they all changed back to their clothes before leaving the facility in Barry's car, Hal taking the back seat, thinking that there was definitely something between the two which he didn't want to interrupt.

 _*The Crab Claw Coast City - 1:30pm*_

The three stood in front of the decorated front door of the restaurant. Hal checking and fixing his outfit making sure he looked presentable for his girlfriend, Barry and Caitlin just giggled and shook their heads at him. Immediately after they entered the restaurant they were met by a enthusiastic waitress who showed them to Carol's reserved table. The woman sitting there stood up pulling the ends of black dress skirt and her matching colour blazer straightening them. Her red blouse standing out from the darkness of her outfit. She had short black hair and blue eyes. Her face gave the initial impression that she was a very serious lady, Caitlin found it similar to her "cold" or "ice queen" expression from before she met Barry but she was not like that at all.

"Hey baby" Hal went up to her placing a kiss on her cheek. "Sorry if we kept you waiting." Hal smiled at his lover.

"No problem. I just got here too." She smiled back at him. "Barry, good to see you again." She greeted

"Good to see you too Carol" Barry replied with a friendly grin.

"And you are?" Carol turned her attention to Caitlin.

"Dr. Caitlin Snow, very nice to meet you" She offered to shake for her hand.

"Nice to meet you Dr. Snow. I'm Carol Ferris owner of Ferris Aviation Test & Research Facility" Carol reached out to shake the scientist's hand. "Please sit everyone." She told them, everyone taking their seats. "I hope Hal didn't do anything risky at the facility while you were there." She initiated conversation with the two in front. She spoke in a very professional tone, Caitlin observed her.

"Oh no he just took us sky diving." Caitlin replied innocently. Carol quickly glanced at her boyfriend with a piercing stare. "Sorry" Hal worded out with a nervous smile reaching for his water and taking a drink. That sight seemed very familiar to Caitlin, almost reminding her of her and Barry.

"So what's good here?" Barry asked to relieve some tension between all of them.

""The Claw Special" is really good and also the "Chef's Seafood Platter" is said to be really nice. You should also try the clam chowder, they make really good chowder here too." Carol recommended some dishes.

"I guess we should order. I bet you guys are hungry" Hal added as he called for the waitress.

They placed their orders and the food soon came. Barry got The Claw Special with some chowder on the side, Caitlin ordered the spicy seafood pasta while Hal and Carol got lobster. The food was definitely delicious the smiles on Caitlin's and Barry's faces as they ate described this.

"Caitlin" Barry called her

"Hmm" Caitlin couldn't speak with her mouth full.

"You have a little...actually I got it" Barry leaned in with a napkin wiping the stain on the side of her mouth.

"Thanks" Caitlin said with a smile.

"You're welcome" Barry doing the same thing.

"So how long have you two been dating?" Carol brought up a now familiar question to them.

"Um no were not together" Barry huffed his lips stretching into a smile as if he was going to laugh.

"we're not that" Caitlin added flustered yet she was giggling.

"We're just best friends" Barry explained as he looked into Caitlin's hazel eyes briefly, a warm smile came upon him.

"Yeah. I have a boyfriend. Not Barry, someone else." Caitlin rambled a little glancing back at Barry's green ones.

"I see. I guess that explains it all." Carol laughed at the undeniable cuteness in front of her.

"How about you and Hal?" Caitlin asked politely.

"Hal and I have been together since college and it is all thanks to Barry over there." Carol replied smiling at Barry.

"Huh?" Caitlin seemed a little confused.

"Barry was my wingman. He convinced Carol to go on a date with me back then!" Hal laughed

"Really?" Caitlin giggled and looked at Barry who just smiled and shrugged at her.

Carol's phone suddenly rang. She immediately picked it up and held it to her ear. "Hello...I see...alright...we're on our way." she responded to the person at the other end. "I'd like to apologize that our lunch will have to be cut a little short. There's an emergency at the facility." Carol gave an apologetic look to the two.

"Oh it's fine. We were finished anyway. Thank you." Caitlin told her.

"Can you get the car ready please? I just need to go to the bathroom" She asked Hal sweetly giving her cars to him. She then called for the bill and payed it.

"Of course honey." Hal replied sitting up from their table and exited the restaurant; Barry followed after him. The other two went to the bathroom where they spoke to each other personally as they checked themselves in the mirror.

"So Barry what is he to you?" Carol asked as she began to re-apply a layer of make up on.

"What do you mean?" A small nervous smile appeared on Caitlin's face.

"I think you already know what I'm talking about." She smirked at the brunette who gulped.

"Barry and I...are just best friends...like I said I have a boyfriend and I am content with him." Caitlin told her.

"Content...very interesting use of words. Shall we go? The boys are waiting for us." Carol commented almost to a whisper before leading Caitlin out of the restaurant where the college friends had been waiting.

 _*Outside the restaurant - Barry & Hal*_

"So is this girl Barry Allen's newest conquest?" Hal joked as he opened the door to his car and started the car to heat up the engine.

"No she's not. Barry the conquistador is long gone" Barry laughed. "Caitlin is just a friend. A really good friend at that." Smiling as he spoke about her.

"That smile doesn't tell me that she's just a friend, to you anyway." Hal made an observation which caught Barry's attention.

"She has a boyfriend and I told you JUST friends." Barry emphasized.

"Whatever you say buddy." Hal said as Caitlin and Carol came through the front door.

"It was nice seeing you again Barry and very nice to meet you Dr. Snow" Carol smiled at the two before entering the car.

"Good seeing you again pal and it was good to meet you too Dr. Snow." Hal gave Barry a departing pound hug and shook Caitlin's hand again before joining Carol. They car left leaving the two brunettes alone.

"So what now?" Caitlin asked Barry who stood beside her.

"We go on a tour." A smile stretched across his face as he noticed a tour bus stop across the street. Taking Caitlin's hand he brings her to the bus and they board it paying the fee of $10 each. Caitlin wasn't surprised when he dragged her along, she was getting used to all the unexpected things Barry did.

They spent the next few hours taking picture of themselves and of course the places they visited while on the bus. They often hopped off the bus and back on the bus to check out the inside of the once you've paid the fee you could get on the bus as many times as you liked during the day. The time they spent exploring the city, they didn't think about anything else, the two were just all smiles and enjoyed each other's company.

 _*Coast City Jitters - 5:00pm*_

Like they did in Central City the two found themselves in a Jitters, needing the sweet taste of caffeine. The both of them could swear they were addicted to it. They entered the cafe not even surprised that there was a long queue, just like it did back home. They just laughed at how some things never change no matter where they went. Closer and closer they got to the counter, their craving for coffee growing. With just one person in front of them, Caitlin decided to go to the bathroom where she unfortunately found a small line forming. She now regretted drinking so much water at the restaurant. The customer in front of Barry finished, Caitlin hadn't returned but he knew exactly what she wanted. He stopped at the counter, part of his expecting Iris to be there but instead there was a young woman probably in her early 20s with dark brown hair; close to black. She had bluish grey eyes and had her hair tied up to a bun. She wore a white blouse with a multicolored floral pattern and over that a pine green apron with a name tag reading Evelyn pinned onto it.

"Can I take your order?" Evelyn asked in a tired tone not paying attention to Barry at first.

"Yes, can I get one medium coffee with cinnamon and another medium with 2 sugars and a shot of expresso." Barry gave his order. The barista's eyes quickly meeting his green ones just after hear his voice.

"Yes certainly...can I get you're name?" She gasped when she saw Barry. Tall, pretty eyes, handsome were the words immediately clouding her head.

"Barry" He told the barista.

"Barry...that's a nice name. 7.50 please" Evelyn complimented him and asked for the payment.

"Thanks and here you go" Barry handed her the exact amount and a smile. He then moves to the waiting counter where the coffee would be given to him. A few minutes later the coffees arrived, brought by the same barista. At the same Caitlin had just finished using the bathroom after waiting just to get in.

"For Barry?" Evelyn called Barry who was standing beside the counter on his phone.

"Here! Thank you" Barry shot a smile at her as he grabbed the two drinks.

"Did anyone ever tell you that you have really nice eyes?" Evelyn asked him smiling flirtatiously.

"Nope! You're the first one." Barry laughed a little.

Caitlin walked back out to the dining area, cursing under her breath about the lines at girl's bathrooms. She quickly scanned the room for the tall brunette who she found within seconds smiling and speaking to the barista who was obviously into him. She could tell just by the way the barista was staring at Barry and the way her lips curved and how she constantly licked them. She felt something starting to build up inside of her, was it anger, jealousy maybe a mix of both. She took a deep breath and put a poker face on as she began to make strides towards Barry.

"Isn't two coffee's too much for one guy?" Evelyn asked again completely mesmerized by Barry.

"Oh this is for.." Barry answering nonchalantly but was interrupted by Caitlin.

"Hey, is this one mine?" Caitlin walked up to her friend pointing at the coffee cup in his left hand also taking a glance at the barista.

"Yeah, with cinnamon just the way you like it!" Barry handed her the coffee with a bright grin.

"You always know how I like it" Caitlin said in a slightly suggestive manner, subtle enough for Barry not to notice but enough for fellow female to identify. Just to add to it Caitlin also bit her lip briefly. The barista's face fell believing she had lost and that Barry was taken.

"Let's go?" Caitlin proposed, her thumb pointing towards the exit.

"Let's go! It was good to meet you Evelyn" Barry said goodbye to the friendly barista, walking to the exit beside Caitlin.

"Bye Evelyn" Caitlin repeated once again in a mockingly manor that only another female would see. She smirked as she took a sip of her coffee. Damn she was good, and so was the coffee she thought.

The two rode the tour bus back to the beachside stop where Barry's car had been parked, and was luckily still there. He let out a sigh of relief knowing one of his prized possessions was remained. Disposing of their coffee cups at the nearby bin, they decide to take a walk down the boardwalk before going back home to Central City. Caitlin looked out towards the beach admiring the sunset that transformed the sky and ocean into a tricolor of red, orange and yellow. Barry looked at her as she did, her face decorated with a beautiful smile, her eyes sparkling at the beauty of nature. There was a moment of silence between them as they stared of into the distance of the water that stretched far away, feeling the ocean breeze blowing.

"Bet you don't know why the sun sets red." Barry broke the silence, Caitlin's attention turning to him.

"Actually I do but I'll let you continue" Caitlin giggled as she looked up at him.

"You see, light is made up of lots of colors. And out of all those colors, red is the one that travels the farthest." Barry told her, his eyes meeting hers.

"And where did you get that from!?" Caitlin chuckled.

"A video game." Barry said rubbing the back of his neck and smiling a little embarrassed.

"Well then it's surprisingly scientifically accurate." She laughed again. She then checked her phone, reading the time "6:30pm". "We should go it's getting pretty late." She added.

"You're right. Traffic can be a bummer at this time" Barry agreed, the two making their way back to Barry's vehicle. Both of them got in and began their departure from Coast City.

Ten minutes into the journey Barry and Caitlin found themselves in a traffic jam with who know's how many cars were in front of them. They knew at that moment that their last 35 minutes could be extended to an hour or maybe in more. Although this jam didn't really bother them. The two of them were there and they kept each other entertained. Barry talked about his tales about his college days; how he became Hal's wingman, how they called him "conquistador" for exaggerating the amount of girlfriends he had in college and the stupid things Hal and him did during college. Caitlin just laughed all through out she enjoyed the stories Barry was telling her, wishing he had met him sooner that time because her college life was pretty boring, but if she did meet him back then, then everything would be different and she didn't want to change what she and Barry had now. The hour long wait didn't seem too long with them together, they could talk and talk for ages and would never lose interest in whatever they were discussing.

 _*Outside Caitlin's Apartment - 8:00pm*_

"Home at last! Well your home." He smiled goofily at Caitlin as they went up the steps to her front door.

"Thanks for saving me from boredom this morning! Coast City was really awesome." She truly was grateful Barry had came and brought her along.

"You are certainly welcome Dr. Snow" He addressed her with her title which made her chuckle.

"Well I hope we could do this again sometime Mr. "conquistador, wingman, skydiver, forensic scientist" Allen" Caitlin comically replied listing out all of Barry's current and former agendas in life. "Oh and athlete. I forgot that one" she added.

"What can I say I'm a man of many talents!" Barry jokingly boasted making them both laugh.

"But seriously I really appreciate you bringing me along" Caitlin turned the goofiness level down.

"Anytime" Barry simply replied.

Now once again they were stuck in that situation of silence and intensity between each other as they looked into each others eyes, similar to the night they did karaoke. Both of them falling into a mysterious trance, an attraction could be felt between them. Barry taking an unconscious step forward closing their distance, they felt their lips loosen from their closed state. Right now it was just them, and the invisible stars in the sky; the lights of Central City hiding them. Suddenly their heads both began to lean in, Caitlin's eyes coming to a close and holding their breaths as the proximity between their lips became smaller and smaller. They both felt it, the need to taste each others lips. With only a few centimeters left separating their lips both their phones vibrated, stopping them from doing anything. Barry took a step back and cleared his throat and both of them check their phones. For Barry it was Joe and for Caitlin it was Jay making his regular nightly calls.

"I gotta go" Barry told her. Blank expressions on both of their faces a little shaken up by what was about to happen between them. "Maybe I'll see you tomorrow, for a morning run before you go to work?" He suggested smiling despite the awkward situation.

"Sure I'd like that." Caitlin replied mirroring his smile.

"We should probably take these calls now. Goodnight" Barry laughed

"Yes we should. Goodnight" Caitlin giggled as both of them slid the green bar to answer. "Hello" they greeted their callers at the same time as Caitlin opened the door to the apartment and Barry walking the down the steps to his car.

That night they both lay in their beds flicking through the pictures they took together at Coast City. An unremovable smile dawned on their faces, reminiscing the events earlier that day, events that they would never forget. They couldn't sleep, how could they knowing that, that night they could've kissed. "Wait Barry almost kissed me? Does that mean he...?" Caitlin thought, her mind in confusion of how does Barry feel about her. When she thought about the possibility of Barry having feelings for her she blushed but also felt guilty. She had a boyfriend but why did someone else make her feel this way. Exiting out her photos app and opening the goodnight message Jay had sent her that night a smile remained on her face. She was conflicted and didn't know what to do.

End of Chapter 18

 ** _A/N: Thanks for reading folks! I hope you liked it! If you have any thoughts about it, make sure to leave a review! Also if you guys watched the new episode of The Flash last night and saw all the snowbarry goodness in it tell me how you felt about that! For me it was refreshing to finally see some proper scenes between them after these painful past two episodes of SnowJay. If you guys wanna hear listen to Barry (Grant) singing "I Want You Back" just search for the Glee version on YT. There may be another chapter by the end of the week but if not next week then. Until next time guys!_**


	19. Chapter 19: On My Mind

_**A/N: Hey guys! It honestly felt like forever since I wrote a chapter, even though it's only been a week! Thanks for all the reviews I'm happy you liked last week's chapter! To the guest who mentioned Evelyn, she was just a very minor OC to show Caitlin's jealousy and how she would react to another girl flirting with Barry. So here's your weekly chapter of Unexpectedly! Hope you enjoy this one and I'll see y'all at the end notes!**_

*beep*beep*beep*beep* Caitlin heard the sound of her alarm ringing at 5:15am. This was pretty early for her and normally she'd be struggling to open her eyes, she'd still be half a sleep and her limbs would feel like jelly, but on this particular morning it was like she was full of energy. She didn't feel the tiredness at all, in fact that morning she got up with a smile on her face. She felt excitement coursing through her. She had never been so enthusiastic about waking up this early. _Was it that Barry was coming?_ She thought. The thought of Barry hadn't escaped her head since last night. She then took a quick shower and got dressed in a pair of running leggings, running shoes, a dri-fit t-shirt and her Star Labs hoodie. She hadn't ran in a while, she occasionally did but usually was too tired to in the mornings. Going to the kitchen she whipped up a breakfast sandwich quickly before Barry arrived. She had texted him last night come just before 5:30 which she hoped that he'd be on time for. At 5:28 there was a knock on her door and as expected, in a pair of sweats, running shoes and also a hoodie Barry arrived.

"Good morning! Are you ready?" He asked smiling at her.

"Yeah. Let's go!" She replied closing the door behind her, joining him outside. The two headed down the steps and started their early morning exercise.

"So do you go running a lot?" Caitlin was curious since Barry was formerly on the track team in high school.

"No not anymore. I used to but I decided I needed to bulk up more than I needed to get slimmer." Barry replied. "Do you?" He then asked her.

"Ever since Ronnie passed I started slacking with running and exercise. It's a miracle I never got fat!" She laughed despite part of her breath being taken away by the running.

The two ran for an hour and even though they were both all happy and smiles that morning behind all of that, both of them were eager to talk about what happened last night, how they almost kissed and what it meant to both of them but Barry knowing she had a boyfriend didn't want to bring it up because everything would just become awkward between them. Caitlin wanted to know how Barry felt about her and why he almost did such a thing but she couldn't afford making things uncomfortable with him, she valued their friendship and didn't want to risk losing it. They decided to walk back to her apartment instead of running, after Caitlin complained that her calves were paining due to the shock of exercising again. When they arrived they didn't expect _him_ to be there at the front door.

A bouquet of flowers occupied one arm and a Jitters paper bag in the other.

"Jay!?" Caitlin recognized her boyfriend standing there in front of her apartment. Increasing her pace she passes Barry and meets her boyfriend, giving him a hug. Barry, hands in his pockets felt his chest tighten watching the couple hug and when they kissed he looked away.

"I missed you" Jay smiled as he pulled away from Caitlin's lips.

"I missed you too" Caitlin smiled back but her words were only half hearted. It was true she missed him but part of her, and as weird as it sounded forgot about him.

"Barry! Hey how are you doing?" Jay noticed Barry at the bottom of the steps.

"Hey Jay. I'm doing good, Cait and I went for a run so the endorphins still flowing through me." Barry spoke and smiled.

"You wanna come inside with us?" Caitlin asked Barry shyly.

"No I'm okay, I need to get cleaned up for work and so do you." He laughed. "I'll see you guys around then." Barry said goodbye a feeling of dismay inside of him.

There was something up with Barry, she could sense it by his facial expression and the way he spoke. She knew Barry far too well, like how Barry knew her too. Barry saw the happiness in Caitlin when she was with Jay. Whatever almost happened last night was probably just in the heat of the moment, he should just let it go and forget about it. Barry's made up his mind not to talk about what Caitlin and him almost shared, not right now anyway.

"You should start getting ready. Don't wanna be late! I'll drive you" Jay told her as they entered the apartment, Caitlin heading to her room to take another shower. Caitlin couldn't stop thinking about what was wrong with Barry. She was eager to know what was bothering him. She finished her shower and dried herself, getting dressed in a violet blouse, a black pencil skirt and heels right after. Upon completing her usual routine she took her bag and her jacket and came down stairs, informing Jay that she was ready. At that moment a memory flashed before her eyes, the memory of her telling Barry she was ready yesterday before they left for Coast City, how her heart started racing as he approached, but Barry wasn't there, Jay was the one in front of her and that feeling was close to non existent in her right now.

"Cait, are you okay?" Jay asked with concern as his girlfriend suddenly froze, gripping the Jitters paper bag with his hand.

"Uh yeah! Let's go! Can't be late!" Caitlin said with an awkward enthusiasm snapping out of her thoughts. The couple head to the door and left the apartment.

Taking the passenger seat in Jay's sports car, he hands her the Jitter's bag before he closed the door for her. Thankful she smiled at him as she opened the bag revealing a ham and cheese panini.

"I thought you needed breakfast so I got that for you." Jay told her earning him another smile and thank you. He could sense Caitlin uneasiness, like her mind was somewhere else.

Jay pressed the ignition button, the powerful engine revving as he put pressure on the pedal and made their way to Star Labs.

The drive was surprisingly silent between them. Caitlin was busy eating and Jay focused on the road. When they did it would last very briefly before falling back to just the usual silence. Jay eyed Caitlin throughout noticing how she just blankly stared out the window.

"So what did you do while I was gone?" Jay asked in attempt to create a longer conversation between them. "Anything special?".

"Hm?" He caught Caitlin's attention. "Well one night I went karaoke with Cisco and Barry and his friends Iris and Eddie. That was super fun. The day after that I went shopping with Iris, had some nice girl time bonding there, then the night after that we ate at Iris' apartment for dinner. Yesterday I went to Coast City with Barry." Caitlin smiled, remembering that day.

"Coast City? What for?" Jay asked in attempt to extend the conversation.

"Barry wanted to meet with his college friend and I had no work. He invited me to come with him and I said yes." Caitlin simply answered

"Seems like you had a fun week" Jay smiled at her and took her hand in his.

Caitlin looked down at her hand, her fingers interlocking with Jay's. She smiled back at him but she the spark from before, the spark she felt with Jay, it was lacking like part of it was gone. The remainder of the drive consisted of Jay telling her how his business trip went, Caitlin just smiled and nodded, only half of her paid attention to her boyfriend, the other part was focused on someone else.

"So I'll pick you up after work? We could go for some dinner?" Jay offered as Caitlin got out of the car.

"Sure, I'd like that." She confirmed waving him goodbye before Jay drove off.

She took a deep breath. _Get yourself together Caitlin. You're at work now so personal thoughts aside and focus on helping push the limits of the modern world,_ she told herself as she walked forward in through the entrance of the great Star Labs.

"Good morning Dr. Snow" the receptionist smiled at her as she approached the desk her key card in hand.

"Good morning" Caitlin repeated and mirrored her smile, handing over the coded rectangular piece of plastic. The green light above the computer screen flickered signaling her that she had clocked in.

"Enjoy your day!" The enthusiastic lady behind the desk told her as she returned the keycard to Caitlin.

"You too" Caitlin nodded before proceeding to the elevator which conveniently opened at her arrival.

Riding the elevator to the fifth floor; The Cortex, despite her efforts in trying to not think about Barry, it just kept lurking in her head. _Fifth floor, Cortex_ the robotic voice announce. There she was met by Cisco who seemed excited.

"There you are!" Cisco spoke in such high energy.

"Good morning Cisco" she simply greeted him as she walked out if the elevator.

"Guess what!?" Cisco asked her, making their way to the Cortex.

"What?" Caitlin sighed, she wasn't in the mood for this. Her mind was going through so many things that morning.

"Well I was gonna say Beth was coming home next week, but you don't seem to be at full attention, what's up?" Cisco asked with concern for his best friend.

"I'm sorry Cisco! That's great! I'm just feeling...there's just a lot of things going on in my head right now." Caitlin explained her moody attitude apologetically.

"Look Cait, you know if you ever need someone to talk to I'm right here." He told her and smiled at her.

"Thanks Cisco" Caitlin smiled back at him as she put her lab coat on.

"Anyway I gotta go. I'll see ya later okay?" Cisco said before he left her at the Cortex.

"Bye" Caitlin took her seat at her desk and switched the computer on to begin her work for that day.

 _*Barry - After leaving Caitlin with Jay*_

Barry felt pain but not from the soles of his feet or his calves. The pain came from his chest. He knew that his little time with Caitlin would have to end but to be affected this much by the return of Jay, it was quite overwhelming. He couldn't even bare to see their lips touch. These feelings were strong but will he ever tell her. _She's in good hands Barry. She's happy with him Barry._ Barry repeatedly told himself. He reached his crimson car which was parked just a block away from where Caitlin lived. He sighed as he got inside and turned the engine on making his way back to his apartment.

 _*Barry's Apartment block - 6:45am*_

 _*Ding*_ The elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open, Barry felt all gross from sweat he accumulated during the run. As he walked through the hallway to his door he saw the door of one of his neighbor's open and then a sudden crash. He rushed over to see if there was any trouble, finding a young woman around 5ft 9, her blonde hair was tied into a bun, she wore a bright red long sleeved shirt and skinny jeans that cut just before they reached her ankles. She stood there with multiple boxes scattered in front of her and her hands placed on her hips.

"Excuse me do you need any help?" Barry asked catching her off-guard.

"Oh you gave me a fright right there" she laughed and turned around to face him. She had a nice complexion, definitely pretty with her blue eyes. She had no make up on and it was obvious that she had been carrying stuff all day just from her sounding out of breathing.

"Sorry, do you need anymore help?" Barry kindly offered his assistance to her again.

"No need but thanks for asking." She smiled. "Joan Williams by the way, I'm new here." She added introducing herself and sticking her hand out.

"Barry Allen, I guess you're my new neighbor!" Barry shook her hand.

"Well very nice to meet you neighbor!" Joan told him giggling.

"Where did you move in from?" Barry asked.

"I came from Keystone. I got a new job here plus my boyfriend lives here too." Joan explained.

"I see. Anyway it was really good meeting you! I gotta go to work now. Um welcome to the complex!" Barry said goodbye realizing that he still had to get ready for work.

After taking a quick shower and dressing up in his casual slacks, button up and converse attire, he briskly made a salad and scrambled eggs before leaving his apartment. He arrived at the precinct in 10 mins; which was rather quick, his container of breakfast in hand, he walked up to his lab surprisingly Singh hasn't shouted at him yet.

"Good morning!" Patty who was at the computer greeted him.

"Good morning! Computer at your lab not working again?" He asked taking his coat off and placing it on one of the chairs. After him and Patty broke up they remained friends and still had a good relationship as co-workers, which was great because both of them didn't want to make things awkward.

"Yeah it's just the DNA analyzing program on my computer was corrupted so I had to use yours." She grinned at him. "Which now I also can't seem to find." She leaned back and crossed her arms, looking at Barry for help.

"Ah hold on...it should be here unless it got deleted when I updated the system...and it did get deleted when I updated the system! Great!" Patty rolled her chair back as Barry tried to find the program.

"Bummer. We're screwed for the day" Patty commented and laughed knowing that a forensic scientist without that program would probably have a rough day.

"I could probably order online but they don't give download codes digitally. Ummm" Barry tried thinking of a solution. "Actually maybe I could ask Cisco for a favor, get us some copies of the program they have in Star Labs? Hold on" Barry dialed Cisco on his phone.

"Hey man! What's up? Can you make it quick we're a little busy right now." Cisco answered the call.

"Sorry! Uh can you do me a favor?"

"Yeah sure"

"Can you get me a copy of the DNA analyzing program you guys have at Star Labs. Patty and I are in a little bit of a pickle, the program's gone from our computers."

"Alright! I drop it off over lunch okay?"

"Sweet! Thanks man. Talk to you later"

"Bye" Cisco ended the call.

"Problem solved" Barry smiled at Patty. "We'll just have to wait until lunch before we analyze any DNA" he chuckled.

"I'm lucky I've still got reports to do. Anyway I'll see you later Barry." Patty stood up from the seat and lightly slapped Barry's shoulder before leaving the lab.

"See ya" Barry watched her leave the lab. _Now time to do some reports myself!_ Barry took the seat that Patty used and slid himself to the other table where all his unfinished reports. Barry continuously tried to write proper reports but he couldn't focus, Caitlin still ran through his mind, he couldn't stop thinking about her, no matter how hard he tried to block her out he couldn't.

 _*Caitlin - Star Labs - Lunch time*_

Caitlin groaned running her fingers through her hair in frustration. It had been a couple of hours and she still hadn't finished most of her documents. Her body was at work but her thoughts were some where else or more specifically someone else. _Maybe I just need a break. It time for lunch anyway._ Standing up from her seat she stretched her arms and then proceeded to take her lab coat off, replacing it with the jacket she brought to work. Grabbing her bag she made her way down to the Blueprint Room to find Cisco and which she did but he seemed busy.

"Hey, you wanna go Big Belly Burger for lunch?" She approached him and offered.

"I can't leave the lab right now, but can you get me something?" Cisco asked, a thin lipped smile on his face.

"Sure what do you want?"

"Can I get a spicy chicken sandwich and some onion rings" Cisco requested.

"Okay I'll be back soon" Caitlin made a mental note of Cisco's order and began to head towards the exit.

"Actually Caitlin wait!" Cisco called out before she left "Can you drop by the precinct and give this to Barry!?" He asked her to do him a favor.

"To Barry?...sure" she said shyly, taking the USB off his hands and placing it into her bag.

"Yeah it's just a copy of our DNA analyzing program, he said he needed one. You don't mind do you." Cisco explained the USB's purpose.

"No...not at all. I'll see you later" Caitlin left the Blueprint Room and departed from Star Labs in a taxi, telling the driver to go to CCPD Precinct.

Caitlin felt her hands get cold and she started to breathe a little heavier as they got closer and closer to the precinct. The car finally halted "$7.50 please" the driver requested for the payment, Caitlin immediately producing the exact amount. There Caitlin stood in front of Barry's work place. She was nervous but why? I't not like they have anything to discuss...but they did. She took a deep breath pulling herself together as she went up the steps and into the building, busy as usual. Making her way up the steps and down the hallway to the metal sliding door she was familiar of. She suddenly stopped at the doorway, she couldn't move her feet. It was as if her mind was stopping her. She watched as Barry fixed the file of finished reports on his desk. She fixed her hair involuntarily as if she was trying to impress before clearing her throat, catching his attention, making him turn around.

"Hi" Caitlin shyly walked into the lab.

"Hey. What are you doing here?" Barry greeted her with a similar shyness. He couldn't look her directly in her eyes without being put into a trance.

"Cisco said you need this? I'm on my lunch break." Caitlin told him fishing the USB out from her bag. They both feel the awkward atmosphere between them, something they never experienced before when they were around each other. They were always so comfortable with each other's presence but at that moment there was some kind of tension.

"Thanks. The program on my computer was deleted when I updated the system." Barry took the USB and flashed her a smile.

"Oh...well I should go now, I still gotta go get lunch for Cisco and I." Caitlin was feeling the tension rising and wanted to get out of there before anything happened.

"Caitlin wait" Barry called her to stop before she got close to the exit. "The file is locked with a password. You have any idea what it is?" He asked for her help.

Caitlin wished she didn't know it but she did. The password for public files and software files were given to all employees when they first began. She could've lied to Barry but she would've felt guilty. Briskly walking to the computer she avoided contact with the handsome man beside her. She leaned down towards the keyboard and typed in the code. "There" Caitlin pressed enter made her way out again but yet again Barry called for her.

"Wanna have lunch?" He offered her.

"Yeah sure" Caitlin accepted. _What would Barry think if I said no?_ She thought.

Barry leaving his computer to download the software, grabbed and put his coat on before walking up to Caitlin, who waited for him at the doorway. "Let's go" he told her leading her to his car at the parking.

The drive to Big Belly Burger was unusually quiet. Normally they'd talk about anything but instead they found themselves in a strange silence, like one of them waited for each other to make the first move. Barry occasionally looked over to Caitlin was fidgeting her fingers and biting her lip. Eager to end the silence he finally spoke up.

"Is something bothering you?" He asked her.

"Why would you ask that?" Caitlin was a little surprised by Barry's sudden question.

"You're doing that biting your lower lip thing that you do when something's bothering you" he smiled at her, making her cheeks glow with a rosy pink. It was one of the observations that Barry found out about Caitlin after all the times they spent together as friends.

"It's just...I want to know...what's bothering you." She told him again catching Barry's attention.

They reached the fast food joint and Barry parked the car.

"Bothering me?" Barry huffed "Caitlin I'm okay." He lied to her with a small smile; there really was something on his mind but he couldn't say anything because she was the one on his mind.

"Are you sure?" Caitlin concerned about him, her hazel eyes locking with his green. She was eager to know, she knew something was up with him.

Barry looked away and pushed his lower lip against his tongue. _Am I really going to tell her now? No I can't_ Barry made his mind up. "Yeah there is something bothering me, but I don't think it's the right time to tell you...or anyone." He answered her but not in way she wanted to be answered, adding anyone so that it was a little more vague. In the end Caitlin was left speechless, nodding in reply instead of speaking any words. The two left the car and entered the fast food joint, Barry holding the door or her earning him a smile. They both tried to act normally trying to start conversations with each other as they waited in line but every time they ended up answering with short and simple responses. They decided to take the food to go just to avoid any more situations. They knew that today wasn't really for them. Barry drove Caitlin back to Star Labs and dropped her off.

"Thanks for giving me a ride" Caitlin's lips curved into a small smile as she opened the door to get out.

"Yeah no problem. I'll see you then" Barry said goodbye, smiling weakly.

"Goodbye Barry" she waved, as Barry drove away. The atmosphere and tension around her disappeared, she could breathe more freely now but she still didn't feel the relief that she wanted. There was still a heavy feeling in her chest that she felt the need to scream and shout. _Just tell me what's wrong Barry!? What did last night mean!?_ Caitlin imagined herself yelling in an open field, something she wished she could do right then.

She returned to the facility, going up to the third floor to meet Cisco. Just as expected the recreation floor/ cafeteria was still full of resting and hungry scientists and engineers. The buzzing noise of their chatter, she wasn't in the mood for it. Baring the loud conversations between the employees she walked through the floor to find Cisco playing table tennis with one of his co-engineers.

"GOTCHA!" Cisco cheered as he won the game. "Now pay up" he taunted with his hand, a smirk on his face. The co-engineer handed him $2 in response.

"Good win! Here's your reward!" Caitlin laughed handing the grease-marked paper bag with a burger insignia.

"Yes my lunch!" Cisco again cheered, grinning from ear to ear. He took the bag from her hands and desperately searched for his spicy chicken sandwich and his onion rings, soon acquiring them. Within minutes Cisco devoured the food, leaving Caitlin's food and the wrappers from Cisco in the bag. Caitlin finding it uncomfortably noisy in the recreation floor decides that it was better if she went to the Cortex to eat. There she sat in front of her screen, chewing on a cheeseburger and some fries. Barry's words replayed in her head, _the right time to tell me? Tell me what?_ She constantly asked herself to the point of where her head started to hurt and not even noticing that the lunch break was over. _Just forget about it Caitlin, whatever he has to say, he'll tell you at the right time._ She quoted Barry in her head. The wave of scientists soon flooded the Cortex as the lunch break ended. Caitlin went back to work trying to concentrate on finishing her leftover documents.

 _*Star Labs - 7:40 pm*_

Caitlin stood just in front of her workplace as she waited for her boyfriend to arrive to pick her up for dinner. Although she would rather be alone that night to think, she thought it'd be a good idea for her to be with Jay to keep Barry out of her head. She had a loving and caring boyfriend after all. The black two door BMW stopped in front of her, the windows sliding down revealing a smiling Jay Garrick. Caitlin smiled back and approached to car, getting inside.

"How was work?" Jay asked as Caitlin secured her seatbelt.

"Interesting, I read up on nuclear splicing and how Dr. Martin Stein is researching it. How about you?" Caitlin repeated the question for him.

"The usual, papers, presentations,meetings the same old, same old." Jay sighed.

"Sounds exciting" Caitlin joked.

"Very" Jay said sarcastically.

"So what are you up for?" He asked curious to what she wanted to eat.

"Umm anything really, what do you have in mind?" Caitlin couldn't make up her mind so she decide to have Jay make the call.

"I was thinking maybe some Korean barbecue? If that's okay with you." Jay suggested

"I don't mind" she replied.

After a quick drive into downtown, she found herself standing right in front of the Korean BBQ restaurant that Barry had brought her to months ago, memories of that night came back to mind. She remembered how she got jealous of Felicity and that night was when she realized she had feelings for Barry. Even on her dinner date she thought about Barry and now she's even more reminded entering the restaurant. Nothing much had changed. It was still as busy as it was the night she came there with Barry, the walls were still well decorated with stencil art and that delightful smell of sizzling meat and grilled vegetables that made you mouth water was still present. They met by the same waitress Linda, and were seated very close to the table she sat at before, it was almost like déjà vu. She ended up ordering what Barry had ordered before except in a smaller quantity being that she ate there before and it was Jay's first time. As she ate she couldn't help having visions of the last time she ate there, she was looking at Jay but occasionally her eyes would trick her showing Barry Allen's charming smile. The dinner night ended an hour later and she enjoyed it, the food was great and it was nice having Jay back in her life but part of her wanted someone else to be there. Jay brought her back to her apartment and left with her with a hug and a kiss. She should be blushing, she should be smiling, she should be feeling "funny" inside but she wasn't, or if she was it was minimal. Their fire, it was dying while the rekindled one grew stronger.

 _*Barry - apartment complex - 9:20pm*_

Barry struggled exiting the elevator, his legs ached from the workout he did at the gym. _God damn I hate leg day!_ Barry cursed in his head, feeling his legs shaking with every step. Before he rounded the corner towards his hallway he caught sight of someone at Joan's door.

"Jay!?" He squinted his eyes at the sight of his best friend's boyfriend carrying a bouquet of flowers and a paper bag with a grease patch on it.

Staying behind the wall he peaked out to see what was going on. _Why is Jay here?_ Barry found it strange for Jay to be at his building, as far as he knew Jay certainly didn't live there; he lived with all the businessmen at The Hills. The door opened, luminous golden light coming from the inside of Joan's apartment. Joan came out and received the flowers also giving him a hug. _Maybe they're related, cousins or something? I mean they're both blonde with blue eyes,_ Barry tried to think of nothing malicious behind what he was seeing, but shortly after the hug the two pulled apart slight and their lips locked synchronizing in motion as they began moving into Joan's apartment, the door closing behind them. _Okay definitely not related...Wait Barry you just witnessed Jay kissing another girl...Jay; your best friends boyfriend._ Barry recalled Joan's words how her boyfriend lived in Central City. Barry clenched his jaw, the rage inside him building, fire in his eyes. _How could he!? How could he do that to Caitlin!?_ He was ready to go and burst through that door and beat the life out of Jay but as he began to make a step to round the corner, he was reminded by the exhaustion of his legs.

"Okay vengeance can wait until tomorrow...ow, ow, ow, ow, ow" Barry whispered walking down the corridor to his own apartment passing Joan's door, shivering and shaking his head at the thought of Jay's activity inside.

"Unbelievable" Barry said under his breath, unlocking his apartment and walking inside. Barry sat on his bed after a shower, his phone in hand _I need to tell Cait,_ Barry dialed Caitlin's number placing his phone to his ear.

"Hello?" Caitlin's soft voice greeted him.

"Hey Cait, sorry did I wake you up?"

"No, I'm just watching some Netflix" She giggled lightly.

"Oh okay, whatcha watching?"

"Just catching up on some "Orange Is The New Black"" She informed him.

"I actually haven't watched that in a while, I need to put that on my list..." Barry drifted off topic for a little.

"So why did you call?" Caitlin asked him.

"Look Caitlin I need to talk to you about something, but I think it's better if I told you personally."

"Okay...so where do you want to meet up?" Caitlin sounded a little nervous but successfully masked it.

"Tomorrow, I'll come pick you up for lunch?"

"Alright just meet me at the Star Labs lobby." Caitlin told him where he would find her.

"Sounds good" a silence fell over them after Barry's reply.

"Um goodnight I guess" After a briefly silence Caitlin spoke.

"Yeah right...uh...Goodnight Caitlin" Barry said awkwardly with a light giggle, but he grinned when Caitlin followed up with her own.

"Goodnight Barry" Caitlin sweetly smiling at the sound of Barry telling her goodnight. They ended the call at the same time, Barry letting himself fall on his bed, it was going to be quite the day tomorrow.

End of Chapter 19

 _ **A/N: So writing this one I lost a little inspiration half way but luckily I was able to pick myself up continue writing the chapter, all thanks to the other writers of snowbarry fics who have given me the drive to write just by simply reading their awesome content and how I want to be like them. Hopefully I did fine with this chapter!? I introduced Joan Williams a.k.a Joan Garrick from the comics! She'll definitely stir things up as you can see from this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, let me know what you think through a review! I love it when you guys do! Until next week! Adios!**_


	20. Chapter 20: Time and Space

_**A/N: Heyyo! Thanks for all the love and support I got from the last chapter! Super pleased that you enjoyed that one! To cut this short, here's your weekly dose of Unexpectedly! I'll see you all at the end note!**_

 _*Barry's Apartment - Morning Time*_

Barry stepped out of the shower, drying himself, before examining his reflection in the mirror. He felt a little nervous, in a few hours he was going to tell his best friend that her boyfriend was cheating on her. _How would Caitlin react? Will she believe me?_ Barry started doubting Caitlin's trust in him. As far as he knew Caitlin loved Jay and he wondered if that love overcame their friendship. _No don't think about that, just tell her what you know Barry. She needs to know._ Barry mentally shook his head and focused on his objective for the day, but he needed to make sure and although what he saw last night was convincing and what Joan herself said seemed to hold up, he needed a little more information. He then brushed his teeth and got dressed right after, putting on a pair of dark jeans, a grey t-shirt, a deep red cardigan and to complete his outfit the pair of converse that Caitlin had given him for Christmas. Leaving his apartment he grabbed the container of his homemade salad and a ham and cheese omelette he had prepared earlier that morning. But these weren't for him. He wanted to do some investigating and pay Joan a visit.

Carrying the breakfast he made, he knocked on her door confidently. He made sure Jay was gone from the premises before he actually went to visit his new neighbor. A few foot steps were heard before the sound of the locks twisting, the door slowly opening revealing Joan in a silk robe, carrying a mug of coffee; based on the iconic aroma of the steam coming from it.

"Barry? Good morning. What are you doing here?" She examined him holding a container of breakfast in his hands.

"Good morning. I know this is a little sudden but I just wanted to give you a welcoming gift." Barry smiled and put his gift forward.

"Thanks but you didn't have to" Joan chuckled taking it. "You wanna come inside, I just made some coffee?" She invited Barry.

"Sure, I'd love to" Barry grinned, his plan was going well so far. Joan opened the door wider letting the him in and then closing the behind her.

"Wow! You cleaned the place up nicely." Barry strolled inside appreciating the neatness of the apartment. It was just like his of course but everything was in the opposite direction, her kitchen was to the right while his was to the left.

"Yeah, my boyfriend Jay came by last night and helped me out" Joan explained as she brought the container to the kitchen emptying it's contents onto a plate.

"Oh yeah I think I saw him last night! 'Bout my height, blonde hair, blue eyes?" Barry told her as he approached the happy pictures hanging on the wall of Jay and her.

"Yup that was him! This is a really good omelette by the way!" She complimented him, digging into the breakfast Barry had brought. "What do you do for a living if you don't mind me asking?"

"I work in the CCPD's CSI division, forensic scientist. How about you?" Barry informed her.

"Oh cool, I work at a business firm" She answered nodding her head.

"You and Jay have been together long?" He looked back at Joan who joined him at wall where the photos hung.

"2 years so far" She smiled brightly looking at the captured moments of her and Jay.

"That's great. I sure he's really lucky to have you in his life." Barry told her, mentally cursing at Jay for cheating on her. Joan seemed like such a sweet person.

"Well I'm lucky to have him too." Joan said in response. Barry could tell just from her tone and her facial expressions when it came to Jay that she was in love. "Right your coffee!" Joan remembered and jogged back to the kitchen.

"I actually have to go now, I just got a text from my captain, so you don't have to..." Barry lied and pulled his phone out, he got all the information he needed.

"It's okay I've got to-go cups for situations like this" Joan laughed "how many sugars? If any?" She inquired about Barry's preference.

"Two will be good" Barry walked to the kitchen to receive it.

"Here you go! Thanks for stopping by and for the delicious breakfast!" Joan handed him the coffee; still hot and his plastic container, and escorted him to the door.

"No problem, thanks for the coffee!" Barry also thanked her.

"Goodbye" Joan told him and he walked towards the elevator.

"Goodbye" Barry repeated.

Barry entered the elevator, his happy expression from before turned to a more serious one. He couldn't believe the audacity of Jay to cheat on someone he's been with for 2 years. Someone who clearly loved him with all her heart while he shared part of the love he was meant to give her in return with another woman. This other woman being Caitlin. Such fine young ladies didn't deserve to be treated like this. _I don't what I would do if I saw Jay right now._ Barry was angered, infuriated, he thought he'd just snap if he ever saw his face. Barry calmed himself down, telling himself to worry about Jay later. Taking a sip of the coffee, he smiled "Not bad" he mentally commented as the elevator reached the parking lot.

 _*Caitlin's Apartment - Early Morning*_

Caitlin slid out of her bed, smiling after such a goodnight sleep. She made her way to the closet judging what the outfit of the day would be, pulling out multiple options but in the the end decided on wearing a white blouse accompanied by a pair of black skinny jeans, black boots, a navy blue blazer and the bracelet that Barry had given her. After a quick shower, she got dressed and prepared a small breakfast for herself. All through those actions a smile never seem to leave her face. She felt a little excited that day but the reason was unclear. _Is it because Barry asked me out to lunch?_ Caitlin took notice of her happy mood that morning and asked herself. Upon finishing her scrambled eggs and toast, she drove her way to Star Labs where she would start of this great day.

"Good morning" Cisco greeted her as they both clocked in at the reception. "You seem to be blooming today, what's up?" He took notice of Caitlin's bright smile.

"Nothing, just had a goodnight sleep last night." She simply gave him a reason fiddling with the snowflake pendant on her bracelet.

"Okayyyyy...So how about lunch later, you and me, kebabs?" Cisco suggested shrugging his shoulders and entering the elevator pressing both the number 1 & 5 on the keypad.

"Sorry Cisco, not today" Caitlin replied apologetically.

"Why not? Are you on a diet or something now because if you are then Big Belly Burger was probably not the best thing to eat yesterday." Cisco responded sarcastically.

"No Barry and I are going out...I mean taking me out for lunch" She laughed at his sarcasm.

"Wait only you and Barry? No Cisco, like just you two, just Snow and Barry, no Cisco. So just a duo not a trio. Okay then I see how it is." Cisco tried to clarify that he wasn't invited. He crossed his arms at the realization, his lips going into a little pout.

"Don't be jealous! We promise we'll bring you along next time okay. We just have some personal matters to discuss." She said lightly chuckling.

"No, no I fully understand. *Cough* favoritism *Cough*. Cisco continued pouting until the elevator reached the first floor.

"See ya later Cisco!" Caitlin told him as he exited the elevator.

"See ya...favoritismmmmmmm!" Cisco yelled goofily, walking down the corridor. Caitlin just laughed and shook her head at Cisco's silliness, something that always made her smile.

Arriving at the Cortex, it was as busy as ever. She slipped her lab coat on and took her place at the desk. _Today has been a good day so far and it's only going to get better._ Caitlin thought enthusiastically, checking her phone. "Only a few more hours" she whispered happily unable to wipe the smile off her face.

 _*The Precinct - Barry's lab*_

Barry was busy testing chemicals, currently in the zone, making sure he put the exact measurement every time, suddenly there was a knock on the metallic door to his lab. Barry carefully placed his equipment down as he turned his attention to the detective standing at his door.

"Hey Joe what's up?" He walked over to him.

"You got a call from the Wayne Enterprises, they need your services" Joe told him.

"Wayne Enterprises? As in the one in Gotham? Wait why me?" Barry was curious to why they would need his services.

"Well you and Patty specifically. The guy on the line told me to give this number if you want to confirm." Joe handed him a piece of paper with digits written on it. "All I'm gonna say son is that if you do, you need to be careful out there. Gotham is a very different place from Central City. It's meaner and more dangerous..." Joe addressed his concerns about the offer.

"Joe, calm down I haven't even thought about it yet." He smiled a reassuring one and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Look, I'll think about it, see what Patty wants to do and then I'll get back to you alright."

"Okay, are you good for lunch?" Joe asked.

"Yeah Caitlin and I have an appointment." Barry told him.

"An appointment huh? Alright I see ya later son" Joe laughed with a smirk on his face as he left the lab. Barry just shook his head and wore a small smile on his face as he checked the time on his phone; "12:15pm". _I should start finishing up. Don't wanna be late!_ Barry headed back to his working station and continued his testing for the next 15 minutes.

 _*Star Labs lobby - 12:55pm*_

Barry couldn't stand still as he waited for Caitlin to come down. He constantly tapped his feet and shifted his weight. Nervousness was building inside of him and he tried to calm himself down to counter it.

"Are you okay Mr. Allen?" The familiar receptionist asked as she tidied the desk getting ready to go on her lunch break.

"Yeah I'm fine, thank you" Barry gave her a reassuring smile. Barry heard the elevator doors open and sound of footsteps nearing his position.

An angel rounded the corned, well to Barry that's what it looked like through Barry's eyes. Barry was stunned, his attention immediately on her beautiful brown eyes and her ruby coloured lips that curved into a smile.

"Hey!" Caitlin examined Barry in front of her, noticing his shoes, the ones that she gave him. She felt warm inside knowing he was wearing them.

"Hey!" Barry greeted her still shaken by her beauty.

"I like her shoes" Caitlin giggled as they made their way to the exit.

"And I like your bracelet" Barry laughed and took notice of the blue and silver bracelet with a snowflake pendant on her wrist.

"So where are we eating?" Caitlin asked, now outside of the facility. She felt comfortable around him again. The awkwardness and tension yesterday seemed to have vanished. There was this warmth in his eyes when he looked at her, something that made her feel like there was something for her inside of him. But she wasn't sure.

"I don't know maybe..." Barry stopped speaking watching as Jay's car parked in front them. His smile turning into a serious expression. The tall blonde emerged from the vehicle, wearing a smile on his face and approached them.

"Where are you two off to?" He asked friendlily as he walked towards them. Barry felt his legs moving to meet him. Earning a confused look from Caitlin, usually Barry stood back but not this time. The expression on his face bothered her.

"Hey Barry! How are yo..." Jay held his hand out to shake Barry's but got something entirely different.

Barry felt a surge of anger flow through him, as he got closer and closer to Jay. He clenched his jaw and his fist. The raging fire in his eyes were lit once again. _His smile, his stupid smile...Let's take care of it shall we!?_ Barry's inner conscience told him. When he was within range of Jay, instead of reaching his hand out for a handshake, he lifted his fist and sent a relentless punch to Jay's face. Barry's suppressed anger from last night released in that one punch. Barry felt a sense of relief when his fist made contact with Jay's face sending him to the ground with a bloodied nose and a cut lip.

"What the!? What was that for!?" Jay touched the blood on his face.

"Don't act innocent! You know what you did!" Barry shouted at him picking up from the collars of his jacket and slamming him against his car. Barry kneed him in the stomach leaving Jay a little breathless for a second.

"How dare you do that to her?" He spoke in a menacing manner, rage evident in his voice.

Caitlin watched as Barry approach Jay, for some reason she had a bad feeling about this encounter. And she was correct, seeing Barry send a forceful hit to her boyfriend's face.

"Oh my God!" She gasped as she fumbled, fishing for her phone in her bag, immediately calling Cisco to come outside. She then ran over to stop Barry from his rampage.

"I Don't. Know. What. You're. Talking about!" Jay got Barry off of him, landing two punches of five on the surprisingly strong lanky man. Barry dodged the other three. Before Barry could attack Caitlin stopped him, getting between the two. Blood started flowing from the cut that Jay created on his right eye from one of his punches. Both of them were slightly out of breath.

"Will you two stop! What's going on here!?" Caitlin exclaimed glancing at the two with a worried expression. "Well will any of you speak up please!?" She shouted waiting for words to come from one of them that would enlighten her.

"What don't you tell her Jay!? What you've been doing on all of you "business trips" to Keystone!" Barry yelled at him still infuriated, doing air quotation marks at the mention "business trips" to emphasize.

"There's nothing to tell her because I didn't do anything!" Jay replied with a similar fire.

"Really? why don't you tell that to you're girlfriend of 2 years that just moved in to my building!" Barry said smugly raising the volume of his voice near the end.

"What girl?" Jay lied with a piercing stare.

"Does Joan Williams ring a bell? The girl whose been deeply in love with you for 2 years and who you even visited last night. Don't act dumb, you cheating son of a...!" Barry took a stride forward in attempt to attack Jay again but once againCaitlin stopped him, placing her hand on his chest.

"Barry stop!" She looked up at him her eyebrows furrowed, causing Barry to back off. He clenched his jaw and glared at Jay. "Jay what is Barry talking about!?" She asked him, confused with what was going on.

"Caitlin, I would never do that to you. You have to believe me!" Jay told her and glanced at Barry. "In fact Barry, your "best friend" has been trying to break us up since the start!" He accused him in attempt to flip the situation to his favor.

"What!?" Barry exclaimed in disgust.

"You think I haven't seen the way you look at Caitlin!? I see your eyes Barry! I'm not blind! You want her don't you!? And that's why you're doing this! You are JEALOUS!" Jay exposed Barry's true feelings for Caitlin. "And you can't even deny it." Jay crossed his arms with a small smirk.

"Barry?" Caitlin turned her attention Barry, her eyes started to water. Barry rolled his eyes. This wasn't the way he wanted to tell her but now it's out what could he do? He couldn't deny his feeling for Caitlin because they were true.

"Caitlin...Yes I do have feeling for you! I have since I realized it during Christmas when Patty broke up with me, but my feeling aren't the reason why I'm telling you that Jay isn't the man you think he is. Caitlin he has a girlfriend from even before you started dating. I would never do anything to hurt you" He told her with sincere eyes.

"No! He's lying Caitlin! Believe me, I know exactly what kind of guy his." Jay yelled.

At this point was flustered with all the new information she was getting. First Jay was a cheater and now Barry had feelings for her. _How am I supposed to feel!? I can't! I can't deal with this right now!_ Caitlin was conflicted and couldn't comprehend and as a result, her resolve was to run away. Tears streaming down her face, she unknowingly ran into Cisco who had been looking for her.

"Hey! Are you okay!?" He asked concerned and held her in his arms.

"Cisco drive me home...please" She looked up at him and requested with a weak voice. Cisco just nodded and supported her to the parking space and did as he was asked.

"Cait! Wait!" Barry called as Caitlin ran away. There was a tense silence between him and Jay, both of them just glaring at each other. Barry decided there was no point in fighting anymore, Caitlin was hurt because of them. "Stay away from her" Barry warned Jay, turning his back towards him, walking to his car and getting in. Barry drove away back to the Precinct to get patched up.

 _*Caitlin's Apartment*_

"I'll call in and say you can't return to work okay." Cisco lead her into her home. He received no reply from her.

Caitlin walked to her living room and sat on the sofa. Her mind wouldn't stop replaying the scene she just witnessed. The words of Barry and Jay echoed through her head. Tears continued to fall. She felt hurt and angry at Jay, despite losing most of her spark for him, he was still her boyfriend and she did care for him and trusted him like a good girlfriend would. To find out he lied to her for all these months and that he was doing the same to a girl that he was with even longer than her was unbelievable. For Barry she didn't know how she should feel. Should she feel delighted that her unrequited love would finally be returned or should she feel guilty for being the reason to why Barry and Patty parted. That she stopped something from beautiful to bloom between the two.

"I'm going to my room..." She said almost to a whisper.

"Okay. Call me if you need anything!" Cisco informed her as she went up the steps. He hadn't seen Caitlin this way in a long time. Pulling his phone he needed to call work that he and Caitlin wouldn't be able to return.

 _*The Precinct - Barry's Lab*_

"Ow! Be gentle!" Barry exclaimed as Patty applied disinfectant on Barry's cut.

"Geez stop being a little girl!" Patty giggled, placing a bandage on the laceration on his forehead. "There done! What happened to you anyway!? Joe said you were going off to lunch with Caitlin and you come back with a bruised face and a cut. She didn't do this to you did she?" A goofy smile on her face.

"No. We were going to lunch but we ran into Jay and I couldn't control myself. I wanted to go for the kill, he cheated on Caitlin." Barry explained.

"Wait Jay cheated on Caitlin!?" She sounded shocked "What an asshole!"

"Exactly. Anyway one thing led to another and we got into a scrap, then we had this "moment of truth" thing and Jay exposed my feeling to Caitlin." Barry continued recalling what happened.

"I see. How's Caitlin?" Patty asked with concern.

"I don't know, she ran away after she found out about everything." Barry sighed leaning back on his seat.

"You should talk to her. You need to talk to her." Patty advised him.

"Thanks and I will" Barry replied with a smile. A silence fell upon them which was just filled with smiles. Patty rolled her eyes to the left signaling Barry.

"Oh you mean now!?" Barry understood the signal and got up off his seat. "Thanks again Patty" he told her as he put his coat on.

"No problem! Go get her!" Patty encouraged him.

"Wait. Let's talk about Gotham later yeah?" Barry reminded her and himself before he left the lab.

"Yeah. Now go!" She told him pointing out the door.

Barry sped his way through the Precinct down to the parking lot and got in his car. He needed to talk to Caitlin. What happens to their friendship now he didn't know but this was something they needed to discuss.

*Caitlin's Apartment*

"Thanks for coming dude. I don't know what to do with her right now. What happened?" Cisco repeated the question Patty asked.

"Alright long story short, Jay's a cheater, we got into a fight and Caitlin found out about my feelings" Barry summarized as he walked to the living room with Cisco.

"Woah that's a lot" Cisco's eye's widened at the information that Barry just disclosed.

"Where is she?" Barry looked around a little worried.

"She's in her room right now." Cisco told him, Barry quickly made his way upstairs.

Standing in front of her bedroom door, lifting his hand he softly knocked. "Caitlin...It's me...can we talk please?" When there was no answer he repeated. On his third attempts he finally got a response.

"Barry please not right now..." Caitlin spoke weakly.

"Caitlin, please open the door, I just want to talk..about this...about us" Barry pleaded.

"Barry just go.." Again Caitlin spoke in a similar tone as before.

"Cait..." Barry was about to ask again but was cut off by Caitlin herself.

"Barry...I don't want to talk...not yet...so please leave me alone" She spoke in a clearer manner.

Barry was about to say something back when he suddenly felt Cisco's hand on his shoulder. Cisco shook his head telling him she needed time, she needed some space. Barry nodded understanding the situation, going down the stairs and saying farewell. Once outside Barry took a deep breath and realized maybe he needed he too needed some time and some space. A lot of things have happened these past few days and maybe he need a break from it all. Barry drove back to the precinct calling Patty on the phone as he did. "Hey let's meet up in my lab? Let's talk about the Gotham thing."

 **\- 2 days later -**

For the past two days, Barry and Caitlin had no communication whatsoever. They never called each other or met up with each other to discuss their relationship now that she knew how he felt. Meanwhile Barry had accepted to offer to go to Gotham City to work on a case involving Wayne Enterprises.

 _*Central City Train Station*_

"Are you sure you wanna go? There's still time to turn back" Joe asked Barry feeling a little worried.

"Joe I promise I'll come back in one piece. I'll just be gone for at least a month. I'll be back before you know it." Barry smiled at him and gave him a hug.

"You better keep that promise." Joe teared up a little. Pulling apart Joe then hugged Patty and Iris gave him a hug next.

"Stay safe Bar! I wanna see that goofy smile back here in Central City soon!" Iris told him giggling a little.

"I'll miss you too Iris. Talk to you over Skype okay?" He pulled away and smiled at her. Next up was Eddie who gave a bear hug.

"Remember what I taught you stay calm and aim with the front sight post. I'll see you soon pal." Eddie told him releasing themselves from the hug, Eddie doing the same for Patty.

"You two come back healthy okay." Joe told Patty and Barry as if they were his children.

"You keep that pretty face of yours safe Patty" Iris joked as she gave her a farewell hug.

"Thanks Iris you should too" Patty replied comically, both of them laughing.

"The train's here. Well I guess we'll see you guys soon." Barry felt himself tear up a little as the trains stopped behind them. "Goodbye guys!" Joe, Iris and Eddie waved as Barry and Patty boarded the train to Gotham City.

"I think we should review the case while we travel there." Patty suggested taking her seat which was in front of Barry's. Barry at first didn't hear her suggestion for he was occupied by his thoughts, staring out the window to his hometown.

"You didn't say goodbye to her did you?" Patty knew he was thinking about Caitlin.

"Hmm? No. No I didn't. I don't think I want to." He smiled a thin lipped smile at Patty.

"Everything's going to be okay." Patty reassured him. The train began to move and off to Gotham City the two forensic scientists went.

 _*The Precinct*_

"Excuse me, is Ms. Patty Spivot available?" Caitlin asked one of the receptionists at the precinct. She had planned to apologize to her for ruining Barry and Patty's relationship, or so she believed.

"I'm sorry but Ms. Spivot isn't available. She is on a special assignment which will last for at least a month." The receptionist informed.

"Oh, okay thank you." Caitlin felt a little disappointed, she felt guilty, she wanted to apologize but not through a phone, she wanted it to be sincere; she wanted to apologize personally. _I guess I'll just have to wait_ she told herself making her way out and back into her car. Suddenly she remembered she had to do something else; she needed to speak to Barry. Driving to his complex and quickly finding his door she knocked but there was no answer, she knocked again and there still was no response. Before she could knock again, a young woman with blonde hair wearing gym clothes and a duffel bag slung over her shoulder approached her.

"Are you looking for Barry?" She asked Caitlin.

"Hm? Yes. Why? Has he gone somewhere?" Caitlin felt a little awkward not knowing who this woman was.

"Yeah, I saw him leave with a huge luggage bag a little earlier. Joan by the way. Joan Williams, I'm Barry's new neighbor." The blonde introduced herself.

"Joan Williams...Caitlin Snow, it's nice to meet you." Caitlin shook her hand with a small smile on her face, recalling the name mentioned from two days ago.

"Do you want to go and have some tea or coffee inside?" She pointed her thumb towards the one door away down from Barry's on the other side of the hall.

"Sure" wanting to know more about Joan and her relationship with Jay, Caitlin accepted. Similar to what Barry found out Caitlin discovered how Joan truly was in love with Jay and they had been dating for two years. Part of her felt guilty knowing that she kissed this man and part of her was angered knowing that Jay cheated on this loving woman.

"Thanks for the coffee." Caitlin stepped out the apartment.

"No problem, it was good to meet you Caitlin." Joan smiled enthusiastically at her.

"It was good meeting you too. Goodbye" Caitlin smiled back before leaving the complex.

Down the elevator she went, taking a sip of her coffee "Not bad" she commented mentally, impressed by it's taste. She then called Jay and told him to meet at Jitters. _An unpleasant meeting for sure. But I have to do this_. Caitlin drove to Jitter where she found Jay already sitting at a table. She wore a cold expression on her face as she sat across from him.

"Do you want anything to drink?" He asked awkwardly, aware that there was bad blood between them. "Look Caitlin I'm sorry for what I did..." Suddenly Caitlin cut him off.

"It's okay I forgive you but here's how it's going to work. Just to make it clear we are over and lastly you either tell Joan the truth or I'll tell her myself." Caitlin threatening with an icy voice and a piercing stare.

"And what do I get from this?" He asked backing away slightly from Caitlin's death stare.

"Nothing but pain and regret, for that is what you deserve for every thing you did." Caitlin told him as she fished for a red box in her bag containing the white gold necklace he had given her for Christmas. "Good day Mr. Garrick" she planted the box on the table and exited the cafe.

Later that night she got in contact with Iris who told her Barry left for Gotham City a hours ago and was bound to come back sometime in a month or so. Caitlin couldn't help but feel a little lonely. She was going to miss having Barry around, his familiar face, that upbeat presence, that brown hair that was in between messy and neat, his emerald coloured orbs that made her stop and stare and his smile that made her smile. It's hard to imagine that she won't see him for a month. In addition to that they never got to talk about how they feel. Maybe it's destiny's way of telling her that it wasn't time for them yet. But she knew she'd see him again and when she does they'll finally get their chance. Caitlin swiped through the pictures of Barry and her on her phone from their time in Coastal City and fiddled with the snowflake pendant on her bracelet. Both things reminded her of him. "Until I see you again Barry Allen" Caitlin smiled before putting her phone away on the bedside table and tucked herself into bed.

End of Chapter 20

 _ **A/N: I hope you enjoyed reading that! Leave a review of what you thought! I know that this isn't the way many of you expected this chapter to go based of your reviews but hopefully I did well with this one. As you can see this story is slowly winding down to it's end leaving me with a few chapters left to write. Thank you again for all your support throughout all these months and hope do do until the very end! As always I'll see you guys soon and by soon I mean next week. Adios**_


	21. Chapter 21: Back To The Start

_**A/N: Alright guys here it is! Sorry for the delays. Before you start reading, thanks for all the support (I know I say this every chapter but I really mean it, every single one of you is awesome. Well let's not hold this up, enjoy!**_

 _*Caitlin's Apartment - 6:30am*_

Bursting through the bedroom door, Caitlin quickly removed her sweaty clothes, dropping them by into the hamper and got into her shower to initiate her morning routine. She could feel the sweat on her after an early hour run and she wanted to get rid of it. It had been a month since Barry left for Gotham, Caitlin missed him but she often tried to put it at the back of her head and focus on other things. Ever since Barry left she had consistently running in the morning, keeping up with her fitness. This and work kept her occupied and sometimes Iris invited her out to go shopping which she also enjoyed. Although despite all of this she was missing his smile, his voice, his overall presence. Movie nights weren't ever the same without Barry, sure having Cisco and Bette around was fun but she enjoyed having all of them together. This past month felt like it was moving so slowly; she wanted to see him again.

Once she finished, she got out of the shower and dressed in the clothes she had laid out for herself earlier when she woke up, consisting of a sky blue and black pencil dress she had bought on her last shopping trip with Iris. Checking the time as she completed her tasks for the morning, her phone read, "7am" _Just on time_ she thought leaving her apartment a smile on her face. Everything had been going her way so far, she hoped that there would be no major setbacks that would make her late for work. She had retained this record ever since the day she started working at Star Labs and only had one event that almost made her late, an event that she'd never forget; when Barry bumped into her at Jitters that day.

But of course there would be such a setback, as she opened the glass door to the renowned establishment, immediately joining the queue as if she had no choice but to, due to the sheer length of the line. _Why am I not surprised_ Caitlin sighed accepting the reality that she would have to wait in line for her morning coffee. After patiently waiting for at least five minutes, she reached the counter. For a moment she imagined Iris behind it but she wasn't ever since Iris got her new job as a journalist in Central City Picture News. Some things had changed this past month.

"Good morning! What would you like!?" The new barista named Kendra, based on the name tag she wore on her the iconic Jitters green apron greeted her enthusiastically.

"Hi! Could I have a medium latte with cinnamon and a blueberry muffin to-go please?" Caitlin requested.

"Yeah sure, no problem." Kendra responded with a smile as she turned to make the coffee and to take the blueberry muffin from the hot press. _She definitely acts and looks a little like Iris_ Caitlin giggled quietly to herself at the new barista similarity to her friend.

"There you go! That'll be $6:35 please!" Kendra placed the hot cup of coffee and paper bag in front of Caitlin while she took the exact amount from her wallet.

"Thank you" Caitlin smiled at her taking her coffee and her muffin. Stepping away from the counter she check her phone revealing that it was now 7:30am. _Shoot I gotta go_ Caitlin thought realizing she could be late _,_ swiftly placing her phone back into her bag and briskly walking to the exit. Suddenly she saw a man running through the doors obviously rushing, almost bumped into her but luckily Caitlin was able to dodge stopping herself from having to get another cup just like that unforgettable morning. She smiled after the man passed herself, just thinking how it almost seemed like deja vu. Breathing a sigh of relief she left the cafe the coffee safely in her hand and got to her car. She thought she had escaped being late but that's where she was wrong when heavy traffic appeared on her way to Star Labs.

"Are you freaking kidding me!?" She cursed and rolled her eyes for she was literally five minutes away from the scientific facility. Once again she checked the time now reading "7:47am" she groaned in response lean her head back on the head rest. After an excruciating ten minute wait, she finally reached the parking lot and parked her car as fas as she could. She got out, entering the building, now in the familiar corridor leading to front desk. Caitlin quickly located her key in her bag, taking it out and holding it with her hand that carried the paper bag. She dashed to the front desk but not as quick as she could have, her heels proved it hard to run properly wearing them. As she neared the front desk, the silhouette of who she could only guess was Cisco watching his phone. Closer and closer she got, the light from the windows in the front shining on his face revealing a smirk. _When will he ever learn?_ Caitlin shook her head and smiled reaching the front desk before the clock hit 7:59am and handing Mary the receptionist her key card to clock in.

"Wow, that's a new record" Cisco said surprised of how fast Caitlin reached the lobby.

"I guess the runnings been paying off." Caitlin with a smirk on her face as she took back her key card and placed it in her bag. Internally she was surprised too, she was barely out of breath!

"You know I have a feeling that I'll never see you get late for work." Cisco commented as Caitlin and him walked to the elevator.

"That's because you never will" Caitlin chuckled before taking a rewarding sip of her latte. _Still good,_ she smiled cherishing the sweet flavors of her coffee. Next she took a bite out of the blueberry muffin and felt like she was in food heaven. The Jitters blueberry muffin had become her newest addiction from the cafe.

"So how are you and Bette?" She asked Cisco while they waited for the elevator to arrive. The week after Barry left, Bette returned and decided to settle down and work for the offices of the army instead of being in the field. Now she worked as a tutor at the military academy located in Central City.

"We're still getting used to living together. She's actually been teaching me how to cook which has actually been pretty fun." Cisco laughed.

"Aw that so sweet." She teased Cisco, lightly slapping his arm, making his cheeks turn rosy with embarrassment.

"How about you? Having fun stalking his Facebook?" Cisco smiled smugly at Caitlin.

"I...I don't know what you're talking about." This time it was Caitlin's cheeks turning red. She hid the lower part of her face behind the cup and continued drinking her coffee.

"Oh come on, you don't think I know? You don't think I haven't seen you checking his profile during movie night?" Cisco continued teasing her.

"I only checked it three times okay! You know to see how he's doing and stuff.." Caitlin admitted her voice fading as she reached the end of her sentence.

"Did you enjoy looking at his pictures with Patty? Hmmm?" A cheeky smile on Cisco's face.

"They were nice...they faces were certainly funny" Caitlin made up an excuse when really she felt a little jealous as she explored Barry's profile, catching sight of his pictures during his time in Gotham, most of them including Patty.

"Yeah? Really? Just nice and funny? You're not jealous? You're not thinking that they might be together?" Cisco asked multiple questions as they entered the elevator that finally arrived.

"Nope. Why would I be jealous?" Caitlin quickly answered and pressed "5" on the keypad, shutting the elevator doors.

"Because you never stopped thinking about him." Cisco crossed his arms and looked at Caitlin with a smile.

"Goodbye Cisco" Caitlin said as the elevator arrived at the Cortex leaving Cisco in the elevator. It was true though, the thought of Barry always lingered around in her head. _Time for work Caitlin! Focus up!_ she told herself putting her lab coat on, taking her seat at her desk.

 **\- Meanwhile -**

 _"Attention passengers, we will be arriving at Central City Train Station in ten minutes, please prepare your tickets to be scanned"_ An announcement was made as Barry and Patty were seated at their booth, Barry was on his phone while Patty was reading up on the news and current affairs in Central City.

"Did I just hear ten minutes!? Gosh I'm so excited to see you again!" Iris spoke ecstatically through Barry's phone.

"Yup, in ten minutes, I'll be home sweet home!" Barry smiled, he too was excited to back. "How's Central City Picture News by the way? Congrats on that!" Barry was happy to here of Iris' new job.

"It's really awesome! My bosses are pretty cool and luckily both Linda and I applied. She got into the sports department and I got into the general news department. I actually wrote my first story yesterday, they said it'd be on the tomorrow's paper!." Iris told him about her new job.

"That's great! Can't wait to read it!" Barry looked forward to getting tomorrow's newspaper seeing his best friend's name on the byline.

"So different subject..you and Patty.. are you guys..you know...because all this Facebook stuff is pretty...convincing?" Iris quickly went straight to what she wanted to know.

"Oh no! Me and Patty are just friends! We just got bored whenever we had nothing to do! Gotham get's pretty boring you know, everything's so dull and serious." Barry denied, earning a smile and a head shake from Patty across from him.

"Okay what about that other girl you took a picture with, the one with glasses and brownish-blonde hair? What was her name again? Something Danvers?" Iris continued with her questions about Barry's love life.

"Kara? The journalist I met at Bruce Wayne's party?" Barry answered raising his eyebrow.

"Yes her! How about her!?" Iris sounded like she had a breakthrough discovery.

"Once again no. Look Iris I didn't date anyone while I was gone" Barry rolled his eyes and giggled.

"You never stopped thinking about her did you?" Iris asked in a more softer and calm voice.

"Nope. I thought I could but I couldn't" A smile grew on his face thinking about Caitlin.

"You'll see her soon Bar. I gotta go, come to Eddie's apartment later we'll have some welcome back dinner!" Iris told him.

"Okay. I'll see ya later Iris" Barry was about to end the call when Iris stopped him.

"Wait, one more question!" Iris quickly followed up.

"What?" Barry responded before he pressed end call.

"Is Bruce Wayne cute in person?" Barry shook his head at her question, but it did produce a grin on his face.

"You know what? I think I'll let Patty answer that for you." Patty's lifted her eyebrow at the mention of her name. Barry handed her the phone and mouthed " _Just say yes"_. Patty nodded her head in response and took the phone of his hands.

"Hey Iris! Yes he is cute in person! Alright I'll see ya at dinner then. Bye!" Patty concluded the call tapping the red circle on the screen and giving the phone back to Barry.

"So people are already talking about the Facebook photos?" Patty sniggered.

"It was just a few selfies! What's the big deal with two friends taking selfies!" Barry rose his voice a little.

"I know right!?" Patty exclaimed similarly. "So are you excited?" She asked more calmly.

"To be back? Of course, home is home" Barry smiled warmly. Central City was his home, it was where he wanted to be.

"Let me rephrase it" Patty cleared her throat before speaking. "Are you excited to see...Caitlin" a cheeky smile slowly began to stretch across her face.

"To be honest I don't know, part of me is but another part of me is anxious. We never got to talk what happens between us next. Did I ruin the friendship we had? I don't know." Barry sighed his head leaning against the headrest on his seat and his hands at his nape.

"Everything will be alright Barry, it'll be weird at first and things will change but it'll be better. Cheer up! Can't be going back to Central City with a Gotham attitude!" She reassured him and joked.

"Yeah, you're right." Barry put a smile on his face.

"Ahem excuse me sir, ma'am your tickets please" a middle age uniformed woman walked up to them with a scanner. Both of them reached into their pockets and got their tickets scanned. After a few minutes the train stopped and a final announcement was made as Barry and Patty gathered their luggage.

 _"Attention passengers, we have arrived at Central City Train Station. Please proceed to exit the train in an orderly manner. Thank you for traveling with us and we hope to see you soon"_ the voice through the speakers spoke as they set their feet on the platform.

"Home sweet home" Barry laughed breathing in the fresh air. "Home sweet home" Patty repeated laughing along with him, the two walked into the station and out the entrance to get a taxi.

 _*Big Belly Burger - Lunchtime*_

"I thought you were on a diet?" Cisco questioned Caitlin as they sat down at a booth, placing their trays of greasy food on the table.

"It's my cheat day" Caitlin said before biting into her grilled chicken sandwich. The two proceeded to eat their food when Cisco got a text on his phone. Cisco wiped his oily fingers with a napkin before reading it.

"I just got a text from Iris. She's inviting us for dinner later. There's gonna be lasagna and Joe's making barbecue" Cisco informed Caitlin who was eating a french frie.

"Why so sudden?" Caitlin asked signaling Cisco to find out. Cisco texted her back and within a minute Iris replied.

"She says it's a surprise. Hm interesting. I'm going, are you? Cisco accepted the invitations.

"Tell her sorry that I can't come. I've got documents to finish and late night overtime research remember?" Caitlin reminded Cisco of her assignments.

"Oh yeah! Thats a bummer, you'll be missing out on so much good food. Oh well I guess more for us." Cisco commented smugly as he proceeded to send the message.

"Hey rude much! I would've gone if I wasn't so busy tonight!" Caitlin chuckled. The two best friends finished up their lunch and headed back to Star Labs. As they drove back, Caitlin thought of Iris' surprise _What could it be? Are Eddie and her finally getting married? Oh god are they having a child?_ She couldn't help but feel curious but as much as she wanted to go her job always took priority.

 _*Eddie's Apartment - Later that night*_

Cisco could hear the he faint sound of Justin Bieber's "Sorry" the closer and closer he got to the door. He walked hand in hand with Bette, both of them with bright smiles on their faces. Cisco knocked on the door which was quickly followed by Iris' joyous grin greeting them both.

"Make yourselves comfortable, dinner will be ready soon" Iris lead them to the living room where the tv was playing the _Top Current Billboard Hits._ Cisco and Bette made his way to the balcony where Eddie and Joe were doing a late night barbecue.

"Beer?" Eddie offered the couple.

"No thanks I'm driving" Cisco declined.

"I'll have one!" Bette happily took up the offer earning a little glare from her boyfriend.

After spending some time outside, he decided to go back in and check if the lasagne was almost done but also to find out what the surprise was.

"So what's the surprise?" Cisco approached Iris who was in the kitchen checking the lasagne if it was cooking properly.

"Hmm? Oh you'll find out soon enough and don't worry it's almost done." Iris laughed she knew exactly what Cisco wanted to know. Then there was a knock on the door "Speaking of surprises!" Iris said excitedly opening the door and hugged the person behind it. Bette, Eddie and Joe all went back inside to welcome the guests. Cisco came around from the kitchen and to his surprise, there he was, standing at 6ft 2, his brown hair in a state of somewhere between neat and messy. Cisco immediately went for a pound hug.

"Hey man! What's up!?" Barry greeted him

"Nothing much dude, welcome back!" Cisco was happy to see his friend back in town but now that he thought about it, someone else who wasn't present would've been happier. "Hey Patty, welcome back!" He gave the blonde behind Barry a hug.

Barry greeted everyone with a hug and a smile. It felt good being with his family and his friends. He truly missed them, every single one of them and that's why there was slight sense of disappointment in him when he didn't see Caitlin at the welcome back dinner.

"So Barry you seem a little bigger? You've been working out more lately?" Eddie asked as they all sat around the dining table.

"Uh funny story actually, basically since Gotham has such a high crime rate anyone who has a job in the police department has to do hardcore exercise at least three times a week. And when I say "hardcore" it's like hell. The first 3 days I couldn't walk properly" Barry laughed explaining his early experience in Gotham.

"Also Barry forgot to mention that that included a crash course in krav maga." Patty added to his explanation.

"A very painful crash course" Barry commented.

"Just because you were on the receiving end my takedowns" Patty teased him making the others laugh

"Hey that was like twice!" Barry defended himself.

"What did you guys actually do in Gotham?" Cisco asked now more curious of their activities.

"Well there was an infiltration and multiple cases of unsolved murder at one of Wayne Enterprises' buildings and since Bruce Wayne is a friend of Oliver, he recommended me to investigate also due to the lack of "skilled" forensic scientists there." Barry proudly told them making air quotation marks with his fingers at the word "skilled".

"That explains you, but what about Patty?" Joe wondered.

"Apparently a list of "top forensic science graduates" in this region exists and I was surprisingly among the top 10 so that's how that happened." Patty explained, even she found it weird that such a list existed at first.

"So did you guys solve the case?" Bette also wanted to know what happened next.

"We did actually, some mental serial killer, called himself "The Joker", dyed his hair green and wears clown make up when he does his murders and his thefts. Really creepy guy." Barry recalled the image in his mind sending shivers down his spine.

"Well aren't we glad we live here! And I think the lasagne is done!" Iris cheered and informed them dinner was ready making Cisco clap with enthusiasm.

"I'll go get some plates" Eddie stood up from his chair joining his girlfriend at the kitchen.

"I'll go get the barbecue" Joe headed to the balcony to collect the ribs from the smoker and placing them onto a plate.

Barry, Patty, Cisco and Bette were left at the table, all waiting for the food to be served. Patty could see the curiosity in Barry's eyes wanting to go and ask Cisco where Caitlin was but he was too shy to so she decided to do him a favor, speaking up to ask Cisco herself, Cisco giving the excuse Caitlin had given him earlier. The dinner arrived at the table and they all had a splendid time while Caitlin sat at her desk a plate of pasta from the cafeteria in front of her wishing it was Iris' lasagne as she ate.

After dinner Barry was at the balcony alone, a beer in his hand; it was his first one since he came back. Outside he wondered how he would talk to Caitlin or when he would. He suddenly felt a hand behind him on his shoulder.

"Dude what are you doing out here alone, you're missing out on some pretty good embarrassing stories about yourself in Gotham!" Cisco teased him.

"Funny" Barry responded sarcastically at first. "I'm just thinking about stuff" he said more seriously.

"Stuff like...Caitlin?" Cisco guessed with a cheeky smile. "You know she's off work right about now. Probably close to being home." He informed him clearly signaling him to go and see her. Barry gave him a "really" look and Cisco just shrugged his shoulders before tilting his head towards the door and simply saying "Go". Barry nodded his head and went back inside shrugging his jacket back on, earning him a couple of confused looks.

"Thanks for the dinner Iris, Eddie, Joe! Patty I'll come pick up later okay and nice meeting you Bette. Sorry I gotta go do something, I'll be back!" He gave them a fast farewell message before rushing out the door. Cisco rejoined the group a smug smile on his face. All he did was nod at Iris and Patty; those who knew about Barry's feelings. Smirks replaced the confused looks on Patty's and Iris' faces but leaving Bette, Joe and Eddie in the dark.

 _*Outside Caitlin's Apartment*_

Caitlin got out of her car, exhausted, drained and her head hurt too after getting into a heated debate with one of her lab partners, _freaking Hartley_ she cursed shutting the car door and pressed the button to lock it. She had to park her car a few apartments away from her own due to lack of assigned parking which bothered her from time to time. As she closed in on her destination she felt a presence behind her until the feeling of sharp steel was now against her back causing her to gasp and sending her heart racing.

"Keys and wallet now" the man behind her commanded her with a raspy voice and threatening her with a knife.

"Okay, okay but please don't hurt me" she said with a pleading voice reaching into her back for not her keys nor her wallet but for her pepper spray. Once the canister was in her hand she swiftly spun around and sprayed the man's eyes with it causing him to go into a cursing frenzy. Before Caitlin could run the man swung at her with the blade which she luckily dodged with the rush of her adrenaline. The man lifted the blade, ready to strike again when she felt a force brush past her, suddenly in front of her was someone she never expected to be there. "Barry?" she said under her breath, standing there still, a mixture of shock and surprise going on inside of her. She watched as Barry disarmed the armed man and then knocked him unconscious with a knee to the stomach and a punch, receiving a small cut on his cheek in the process. The now disarmed man lay unconscious on the grey pavement while Barry looked down on him, his hands on his hips. _His shoulders look a little broader, his arms and legs more muscular,_ Caitlin thought as she stared at him in disbelief that that just happened. Barry looked over his shoulder, his eyes finally meeting hers once again. Her angelic face and the chestnut brown curls cascaded to her shoulders as well as the bangs that covered part of her forehead which Barry thought made her even more beautiful. "You okay?" He asked her with a small smile.

Caitlin couldn't believe her eyes for a moment, those emerald orbs, that patented smile, his brown hair now combed, she longed to see those features again and now she could.

"I am, but you're bleeding" she said shyly.

"It's not going to kill me" He laughed wiping the dripping blood off his cheek and then pulling his phone out to call the CCPD informing them about the incident. "They'll be here soon and this guy should be out cold for the next ten minutes." His bright smile that Caitlin loved appeared on his face.

"I think you need to get patched up. My place?" She offered him reflecting his smile and pointing her thumb behind her. Barry happily joined her side as they made their way to her apartment.

"So why did come here?" She asked him.

"I'm sorry I should've called. I just wanted to see you." He replied a little nervous, placing his hands into his jacket pockets.

"It's been awhile" she responded, they exchanged looks while they walked.

 _*Caitlin's apartment*_

"So quite an entrance you made there" Caitlin giggled as she dabbed Barry's cut with disinfectant.

"Long story but in Gotham, forensic scientists need to learn self defense too." Barry slightly winced from the sting.

"Oh cool. So how was Gotham?" Caitlin continued to interview him.

"It was depressing? Everything's so serious. I like it better here." Barry answered her honestly.

"And Patty?" A mysterious feeling inside her made her want to ask this question.

"She's good" Barry simply answered with a small smile looking up at the beautiful doctor in front of him. "She's been a good friend to me" he added.

"Just a good friend?" Caitlin spoke, a sense of relief in her voice, carefully placing a bandaid on his is cheek.

"Cait, I came here to talk to you" Barry finally got the courage to tell her. He stood up from his seating position on her couch, now in front of her, the height difference was very much evident.

"About what?" Caitlin took a step back creating some space between them.

"Are we still friends like we used to be? I know I left without discussing this with you but it's been eating me away ever since." Barry told her how he was feeling at that moment.

"Of course we are. It's just some circumstances are different this time" her lips stretched into a small smile.

"How I feel about you hasn't changed Caitlin" He admitted, the sincere words came out of Barry's mouth making Caitlin blush. "When I left things between us were complicated and it was just a mess. So how about we start over?" Barry proposed an idea.

"Start over?" Caitlin furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"Like this" Barry stepped forward closing the distance and place his hand out for Caitlin to shake. Caitlin's heart began to beat faster as he got closer to her, her inner conscious would be lying if she said she never imagined a scene like this before. Curiously she took his hand feeling it's warmth; a comforting warmth and shook it. "Barry Allen, forensic scientist nice to meet you." He smiled at her reintroducing himself.

"Dr. Caitlin Snow, bioengineer and geneticist, nice to meet you too." Caitlin giggled, getting an idea of what Barry was doing.

"So Dr. Snow I was wondering if you'd like to go a date tomorrow?" Barry continued, a bright grin on his face.

"Yes I think I'd like that Mr. Allen." Caitlin went along with it.

"Dinner after work? I'll come pick you up?" Barry tried to stay composed but at that moment he just wanted to cheer and break into a dance.

"Sure" Caitlin smiled at him, hiding her excitement aswell. In her head she was freaking out like a teenage girl. It was actually happening Barry directly asked her to go on a date.

"Thanks for patching me up. I'll see you tomorrow then" Barry now stood outside her door.

"Yes, you will" Caitlin couldn't stop smiling.

"Goodnight Caitlin"

"Goodnight Barry"

They exchanged goodnights before she shut her door and Barry began walking to his car. Radiant smiles remained on both their faces. They both were extremely excited and probably wouldn't be able to sleep that night. This was _their_ chance for something new.

End of Chapter 21

 _ **A/N: I hope you all enjoyed! Leave a review of what you thought! After such a long wait they're finally going on their first date! I have an idea that I wanna do but feel free to leave a suggestion or an idea in your review. The fic is also coming to a close like I said last chapter. There'll probably be two chapters left, maybe three (not sure yet) Anyways again sorry for the delay and I'll see you next week adios!**_


	22. Chapter 22: Officially Dating

**_A/N: Salut mes amis! No I'm not French but I am studying it in school XD. Thanks for all the reviews and support. Y'ALL DA REAL MVPS. So this is the chapter you guys have been waiting for! The first date! Hopefully I did good with the date. I'm not holding you guys back anymore! Enjoy!_**

 _*Barry's Apartment - 1 hour before the date*_

"So hows this?" Barry walked to his living room presenting himself and there slouched on the couch is Cisco, a bag of beef jerky in his hand as he watched tv. "Well?" Barry added spreading his arms and rotating to show him his outfit.

"Hm? Ehhhh I think you should lose the tie. What do you think babe?" Cisco asked almost in a shout as Bette came out of the bathroom, arms crossed.

"I think you should stop stressing and wear something more...casual. You're going on a date, not a business meeting." She gave her input on the suit Barry was wearing.

"Babe not so harsh with his fashion sense" Cisco laughed as he received a "forreal" look from Barry who rolled his eyes.

"I just want to look right for the date. I don't want to look stupid." Barry sighed his hands behind his head.

"Well this thing isn't working." Bette looked at Barry from head to toe.

"What do you propose I do?" Barry asked Bette being that she was the only one who was taking this seriously between her and Cisco.

"Well for me I like it when guys do make the effort to look good on a date, but also being themselves." She advised as she joined her boyfriend on the couch taking a piece of jerky from his bag.

"She's right you know! On our first date I wore a varsity jacket for the first time in my entire life and never again will I wear one. I felt like I was betraying nerds like me everywhere." Cisco told Barry of his experience.

"I'll be back then!" Barry strolled back into his room for once again another outfit change. _Casual, be me,_ Barry thought looking into his closet as he proceeded to remove his current attire. After minutes of a mental debate on whether he should wear a red button down or a red henley he settled with henley and finally completed his outfit now consisting of a red henley, skinny jeans, Converse and a black blazer with the sleeves pushed up.

"How about now?" He reappeared to the couple who sat comfortably on his couch. They both turned their heads and smiled nodding their heads in approval.

"I guessing it's a yes?" Barry smiled brightly, the feeling of achievement inside of him. He then checked his phone noticing the time that Caitlin would be out of work soon. "Guys I gotta go! You cool with staying here?" He offered the couple his apartment.

"Hell yeah, you're movie collection is divine!" Cisco said as Barry prepared to leave.

"Awesome, uhhh snacks are in the middle cupboard and I've got soda in the fridge. Thanks for helping out guys I'll see you later!" Barry said as he sped out the door leaving the couple in his home.

"You know you have really nice friends" Bette looked over to Cisco with a sweet smile.

"Yes, yes they are." He smiled back at her and placed a little peck on her lips.

"You know he also has a great fashion sense..." Bette told him as they focused back to the movie.

"We're not having this conversation." Cisco quickly stopped her before she could continue. Bette smiled shaking her head knowing she wouldn't be able to convince Cisco to take some fashion advise from Barry.

 _*Star Labs*_

Caitlin stood there in the ladies room looking at herself in the wide mirror, constantly fixing her hair, wanting to make sure it looked right. She still couldn't believe it, in a few minutes she would be going on a date with the guy who she dreamed about so many months ago. All she hoped for was that she didn't do anything stupid, she hadn't been this nervous in a while. She cringed recalling how she ate so much food when she first went out Ronnie who brought her to an Indian buffet. She would never forget the smile on his face and his laugh as he watched her dig into her garlic naan and chicken curry. Now it was time to make new memories but this time maybe not as odd. She wanted this date to be perfect. Noticing the time she grabbed her purse and made her way out, taking a deep breath as she did. _Cool, calm, collected. Just act how you usually do Caitlin,_ she gave herself a miniature pep talk walking out the door letting it swing close behind her.

Caitlin stood outside the facility for around five minutes, her coworkers passing her by, waving goodbye with smiles on their faces. She smiled back at them showing her excitement in small bursts. She felt herself tense up when Barry's red car pulled over in front of her. The driver side door opened and emerged her handsome date for tonight who opened the door for her.

Barry took a moment to take in Caitlin's untiring beautiful, a sight he'd never get sick of seeing. Her auburn hair, those captivating eyes, her snow-white skin and her tempting red lip; she looked so perfect because she was. He couldn't keep his eyes off her blue trench coat which she wore so well.

"What?" Caitlin asked looking down at her attire hoping there weren't any problems with it.

"Nothing, it's just you look great" Barry complimented her. Caitlin felt the blood rushing to cheeks when he did. He flashed her a smile as she got in, the sweet fragrance of strawberries passing him by. Barry joined her in the car, unable to wipe the grin off his face.

"So where are we eating?" Caitlin asked trying to remain calm in the presence of Barry who was now her date.

"Well for dinner we're going to an Argentine grill." Barry answered his eyes briefly looked in her direction, before returning to the road."

"Nice I've never had Argentine food before." Caitlin smiled.

"Well you of all people should know that there's a first time for everything." Barry mirroring her smile. She giggled at his response knowing it was true, she always was the one trying new things out whether it be food, to rollercoasters, to sky diving.

A ten minute ride seemed faster than it was, conversations between always seemed to make time pass by so fast. Barry parked the car in front of the restaurant ad helped Caitlin out of the car, like a gentleman.

"You know you don't have to do this right?" Caitlin laughed at Barry's attentiveness.

"Yeah but I want to." He simply answered in a kind tone. Taking Barry's arm they walked in to the restaurant and were ushered to a table for two. The restaurant itself was beautiful, the walls adorned by a multitude of vibrant colours, swirls and abstract shapes that formed flowers. The sound of chatter and music filled the dining room and Barry an Caitlin soon joined them.

"What's good here?" Caitlin looked over her menu asking Barry across from her.

"I've only been here a few times with Iris and Cisco...but I can tell you they have really good empanadas!" Barry recommended.

"We'll have those for starters then! What about the main courses?" She continued to ask Barry questions about the menu until they completed their order and called upon the waiter.

The time they spent waiting for the food they talked about fitness, how Caitlin was trying to get back into shape by running and when she had the time, go to the gym and their own respective diets, how going to this restaurant would probably ruin them but it would be all worth it. The food courses arrived one at a time, the empanadas coming first. Caitlin first bite into the buttery pastry was like getting a taste of what food in paradise would taste like. Barry just smiled watching her reaction to the sweet and savory flavors of it, recalling how he had a similar reaction as her. The main course arrived once they finished the empanadas and just when Caitlin thought that those flavors wouldn't be topped but when she ate that piece of chorizo and short-rib with the potato salad, she had been missing out on a delicious part of life.

"Good huh?" Barry smirked at his date who was clearly loving it at the restaurant.

"It's amazing" Caitlin felt speechless unable to make long sentences to describe the different flavors in her mouth.

"You have a little sauce there" Barry laughed lightly pointing around his mouth. Caitlin's cheeks reddening with embarrassment quickly grabbed the napkin, wiping the stain off the side of her mouth. They enjoyed each others company, exchanging smiles and looks as they enjoyed their food. When they finished, fully satisfied they paid for their bill and left the restaurant.

"So where to next?" Caitlin went in front of Barry wanting to know where their date would continue on to.

"I heard there's a fun fair at the plaza not far from here. If you wanna go?" Barry offered with a cute smile on his face.

"I'd love to." Caitlin happily took Barry's arm as they walked to the plaza, leaving his car behind.

After a ten minute walk from the restaurant, they arrived at the plaza, a large square illuminated by bright golden lights. They paid the small entry fee of $5 and continued to walk around arm, Caitlin's arm around Barry's. The place was crowded but not the point that they couldn't move around. They examined the multiple game stands including some of their childhood classics like whack-a-mole, which both made them nostalgic.

Deciding to play some games they approached multiple stations such as a dunk tank where both of them successfully made the man fall into the tank of water. Barry finding it undeniably cute whenever Caitlin threw her arms up in the air when she hit the target. Next up they tried the game where they had to shoot the water gun to make the meter rise and which ever one reached the top was the winner. Barry laughed at Caitlin wanting a rematch claiming it was rigged. Barry chose the polar bear plush toy as his prize and gave it to Caitlin as a gift.

"Happy?" Barry gave Caitlin the plush toy.

"Yes! Now let's go to play the other shooting game!" Caitlin excitedly dragged him to the stall beside the one they were at.

"You know you're going to lose again right?" Barry joked smugly.

"Let's see about that." Caitlin challenged him confidently. Giving the worker a $1 to play. "Stand back." She looked over to Barry behind her with a smirk and took hold of the airsoft pistol and set her sights on the iron sights. When the buzzer rang, Caitlin's reflexes kicked in and instantly directed her aim to the targets, pressing the trigger at each one. What followed was the satisfying _*tink*_ sound of the plastic pellets hitting the metal targets. In 14 seconds Caitlin accurately knocked down all the targets, Barry's jaw dropped noticing the timer at the top right corner. Caitlin turned around handing the air pistol to him, a smug smirk on her face "Your turn" taunting him. Barry copying her expression, gladly took the gun and when into a shooting stance that Eddie and the Gotham PD had thought him. He felt confident in his skills and thought he'd beat her after being trained by professionals. And thats where he was wrong; his smirk fading as he glanced at the timer telling him "15 seconds" was his final time. Caitlin came beside him, Barry rolling his eyes and giggling at her smug smile.

"I win and no redoes" She pointed at him before choosing her prize from the large selection of plush toys. "Since when can you shoot targets that fast!?" Barry asked her still surprised at her speed and accuracy.

"Since I became best friends with Iris, the daughter of a top notch detective." She explained cuddling her plush toys.

"Wow okay so Joe lets you into the firing range but not me. I see how it is." Barry pretended to be jealous, putting on a small pout and crossing his arms.

"Stop sulking and come on let's go get some ice cream!" Caitlin said excitedly once again dragging him to the ice cream vendor who was surrounded by children and their parents. After a short wait they would get their ice creams, Caitlin's eyes lighting up like a child on Christmas morning. Barry once again smiled at how adorable she was.

"What!? I love ice cream!" Caitlin took notice of Barry looking at her with a smile and gave an honest response to him, making him walked around the plaza finishing their dessert when they noticed two familiar faces walking hand in hand.

"Hey!" Iris called out to the two brunettes, noticing them and bringing Eddie along with her. "So what are you guys doing here?" Iris looked at the small gap between them. "Oh my god! No way! Are you guys on a date!?" Iris covered her mouth but you could see the excitement in her eyes. Barry and Caitlin glanced at each other and smiled at each other nodding at Iris. "You actually don't know how happy I am for you guys!" She cheered, while Eddie stood behind her smiling and calming her down.

"We're actually headed to a bar down town, if you'd like to join us. You don't have to I understand that it's your first date and stuff." Eddie offered them.

"Ugh sure why not." Caitlin accepted the offer, a slight nervous grin at Barry who just smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"Let's go?" Barry simply said as they left together, walking to their cars which were parked close enough to each other, near the Argentine grill they had dinner at. This walk was followed by a short drive to the much busier downtown of Central City.

The four found themselves at a different karaoke bar from the last time, something about karaoke bars seemed to bring them all together. The drunk singers on the stage singing their hearts out and in between those the rare sober voices which were actually on-key. Caitlin and Iris laughed at the idea of them getting drunk and singing but little did they know they'd end up doing it anyway. Caitlin had not noticed how many shots she was knocking down or that her date sat right there beside her at the table. If she did she would've ran out embarrassed, but instead there she was on stage with one of her best female friends, microphones in hand ready to make the audience's ears bleed and their glasses to break. They soon found themselves singing _"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"_ by Cydie Lauper. Caitlin didn't care if she sounded bad, she felt great on that stage. Despite her blurring vision, she couldn't faintly make out the figure of Barry standing up and applauding the when they finished and all she could was smile and try to balance herself. Barry saw Caitlin wobble as she got off the stage and so he quickly helped her down and escorted her to their table.

"I need to go to the bathroom" Caitlin told him with a little pout.

"Okay let me help you" Barry once again assisted her in getting into the bathroom. He waited at the bar for her to finish her business, closing off their tab when a female sat beside him attempting to give him her number by she was cut off when Caitlin approached Barry from beside wrapping her arms around him and place her head at his shoulder.

"Babe, let's go. I'm not feeling so good" she smirked at the girl who wanted Barry to call her. _Sorry he's mine!_ Caitlin thought despite her drunken state. Barry smiled knowing Caitlin was doing this to keep the girl away from him. He loved this protective side of her. The two couple's left the bar together, Barry supporting Caitlin while Eddie supported Iris.

"The girls really did have fun." Eddie laughed as he placed the drunk Iris into the passenger seat and attaching her seatbelt.

"Maybe a little too much! Thanks for bringing us along!" Barry told him as he did the same with Caitlin.

"Yeah about that, sorry if we interrupted the date or something" Eddie apologized.

"No, it was no bother. We had a much fun night with you guys." Barry smiled at his good friend.

"Eddie let's go please" Iris slurred.

"Goodnight guys!" Eddie waved at Barry before shutting Iris' door and getting in the car, driving back to his apartment.

Barry glanced at Caitlin who also sat at the passenger seat, her head was leant back on the headrest, obviously relaxing based on the goofy, smile on her face. He joined her in the car shutting her door first and drove her back to her apartment. When they arrived he helped her out, supporting her until they got inside and upstairs to her bedroom; that was when he also had to aid in her bathroom when she vomited into the toilet; holding her hair back for her. After getting some clothes for her to change into, he waited outside the bathroom door, on high alert for any thumps just incase her drunkenness came over her again while she freshened up. Luckily Caitlin was able to exit the bathroom in one piece, taking small careful steps to her bed, followed by Barry to make sure she didn't fall. Barry kneeled down as she got tucked in.

"Thanks for tonight Barry." She said smiling at him and cuddling the plush toys they had won at the fun fair.

"Anytime." He smiled back at her.

"Has anyone ever told you, you have really pretty eyes?" Caitlin giggled.

"A few people have said that to me. Why?" He laughed.

"Aw so I'm not special. I'm not the first one to say it?" She pouted at the realization. At this point Caitlin wasn't really thinking straight.

"Of course you're special! You're the only one who noticed my eyes that I actually cared about." He told her warmly.

"Aw that's so sweet." She grinned before yawning.

"You should get some sleep and drink lots of water." Barry advised her.

"Will do doctor Allen." She joked earning her a light laugh from him. Barry stood up from his kneeling position and began to turn away from he, when Caitlin called him out.

"Hey Barry?" She called his name.

"Hm?" He turned to her.

"Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?" She asked him in an irresistibly cute manor.

"Sure yeah." Barry sat down at the side of her bed and placing his hand on her leg, close to her knee, his thumb gently caressing it. Caitlin felt the comforting warmth of Barry's hand once, in fact his presence gave this comfort and so her eyes slowly shut, falling into a deep slumber, feeling safe and secure knowing Barry was right there. Barry sat there admiring her beauty and watching over her as she fell asleep. Once he heard the light snoring from her, he carefully stood up, placing a soft kiss on her forehead before leaving her bedroom and her apartment along with a spare of her house keys. He smiled as he locked the front door behind him, the first date was done and was definitely one he'd never forget.

 _*The next morning*_

Caitlin struggled to open her eyes, her head felt like it would fall off her body; it's heaviness and pinching pain really irritated her. Extending her arm to reach for her bag that was left on her bed; the bag that she had used on the date last night, she dug through it's contents until she found her phone. Checking the time, her eyes widened at the digits portrayed "10:00am". She forgot she had work today, after deciding to get wasted yesterday with Iris. _God how can you be so stupid!? You decided get drunk and now you've tarnished your perfect record! Congratulations Caitlin,_ a sarcastic voice in her head told her as she planted her face into her palms. _Wait a minute! the date last night. I got drunk on my first date with Barry!? Are you freaking kidding me Caitlin!? Who does that!? Getting drunk on your first date with the guy of your dreams!? It's times like these that I question how I even got my phd in the first place,_ her inner voice continued. Caitlin groaned in annoyance, she wanted to hit something or hit herself for being so stupid. Removing her face from her palms she took a deep breath to calm herself down. _There's nothing you can do to change your situation right now. You've got a terrible hangover, you're late for work and you screwed up your first date with Barry. Now time to deal with the consequences,_ she encouraged herself to get up and deal with it. Getting out of her bed and making it, she noticed a glass of water with a sticky note attached on her bedside table. She lifted her eyebrow in curiosity and approached the glass, lifting it and taking the sticky note to read the writing on it.

 _"Good morning! You've most likely got a huge hangover right now and so here is your start to drinking lots of water. If you're reading this after 7am, I know you're probably freaking out right now because you've overslept for work but don't fret for Cisco and I have you covered! Cisco said you couldn't make it to work today due to LBM so you're good. Now smile Cait! I'll be back to check on you, who knows I might already be there ;) - your "Doctor" Barry Allen"_

Caitlin lips slowly curved into a smile, she was so thankful for both of them, Barry and Cisco. She drank the glass of water and decided to bring it down to her kitchen. She opened her door and that was when she heard a pleasant voice singing, a voice she wouldn't misidentify. She walked down stairs and to her kitchen and there she found Barry at her stove cooking what she could only guess was breakfast. She placed the glass at her sink which caught his attention.

"Oh hey good morning! Just take a seat breakfast's almost ready." Barry told her as he flipped the omelette. Caitlin did as she was told and waited a few more minutes until Barry came up to her a plate with an omelette and bacon in one hand and a plate of toast in another. "Bon appetit!" He told her placing the plates down in front of her along with the necessary utensils. Caitlin smiled and thanked him as she cut into the omelette, taking a piece and sandwiching it in between two slices of bread. After taking a single bite she was already in love with it. Barry ate with her, the two deciding to eat before talking to each other. When the meal was finished they both went to the kitchen to wash the dishes and get some water. Caitlin initiated their conversation about last night's date.

"Sorry for getting drunk on our date last night. It was totally irresponsible of me and I probably ruined everything.." She wanted to continue about how she screwed everything but Barry stopped her.

"Stop putting yourself down! I had an amazing night! Our first date was different, fun, special! It was unforgettable Cait, in a good way." He told her sincerely making her smile aswell as making her cheeks redden. "Besides saying that you got drunk on our first date makes for a great conversation starter!" He joked and therefore receiving a punch to the shoulder from Caitlin. "Ow! No need to be violent! I know you just wanted to have fun because _"Girls just wanna have fu-un! Oh girls just wanna have fun!"_ " Barry sang just to tease her.

"I'm just going to take a shower" Caitlin announced as she went back upstairs shaking her head at the events now coming back to her from last night, some embarrassing but some sweet and fluffy.

After taking a quick shower and getting dressed in boots, black skinny jeans and a white blouse, she went downstairs to find Barry seated on the couch his feet up on the coffee table as he watched tv.

"Feet off the table!" She laughed. "Don't you have work today?" Caitlin was curious to how Barry was there and not at the precinct.

"Finished work early today. Have a few hours to kill depending if there are no emergencies." He explained standing up and turning the tv off, knowing that based on what Caitlin was wearing she'd like to go out. "Let's go for a walk shall we?" He told her.

"Yeah sure" Caitlin took her coat before locking the door and joining Barry down the steps. They walked along side each other, their hands close but not quite touching. While walking they talked about what happened last night, things Caitlin forgot she did and said; she cringed at every single one of them. They also talked about a date in the future where would they go what would they do. That was when Barry brought up a question.

"I wanted to ask you something last night but obviously I couldn't." Barry said looking to her.

"Sure fire away!" Caitlin told him with a smile.

"So the CCPD's annual Summer Ball is coming up and I was wondering if you'd like to be..." Before Barry could finish his question Caitlin answered.

"Yes, I'll be your date to the dance" Caitlin replied confidently.

"Who said I was asking you as my date? What if I was going to ask you to sing for us?" He laughed

"I had a gut feeling" Caitlin giggled

"Well your gut feeling was correct and I'll be seeing you in a beautiful dress this weekend!" Barry replied happily.

"I guess you will" Caitlin smiled as they rounded a corner and entered a shop to buy some coffee. Once they did they continued their walk around Caitlin's neighborhood eventually reaching the point of which they were almost back at her apartment. Barry phone rang from an incoming call from Joe.

"Hey Joe. What's up?" He asked the detective. "Alright I'll be there in 10 minutes." He ended the call. "Hey I gotta go..." Barry said goodbye to Caitlin.

"Emergency?" She wore a thin lipped smile behind her coffee cup.

"Yup" Barry simply replied as they arrived at his car, him getting in, buckling up and starting the engine.

"Thanks for the breakfast!" Caitlin said before Barry left.

"No problem, I'll see you later okay" he smiled sweetly at her

"Goodbye Barry" Caitlin mirrored the expression. She watched as the red saloon raced down the road. This weekend she was going to a ball with Barry. _It's just getting better and better,_ she thought grinning as she went back inside to spend the rest of the day watching Netflix, a hobby she picked up on a month ago. Today she didn't really worry about work or pushing the limitations of modern science like many other days, today Barry was on her mind and it was still surreal to her that they were officially dating.

End of Chapter 22

 _ **A/N: Hope you guys liked that, if you have any thoughts on it please leave a review! It brightens my day when I see that email from saying "Review". I love all the support you've given me throughout these months of writing. Just to inform you guys next chapter will be the final chapter of Unexpectedly! And with that I say see you next week. Adios!**_


	23. Chapter 23: Unexpectedly

_**A/N: Well, well, well. Here we are at the end. We've come so far together with this story guys, it's really so unbelievable! Thanks for all the reviews last chapter! Thanks for helping me reach 100+ reviews, you guys are truly the best. Okay now without further adieu, I present to you the final chapter of "Unexpectedly".**_

 _*Caitlin's Apartment*_

Caitlin rummaged through her closet pulling out every dress she had stored but she wasn't satisfied with anything there. She had them all laid out on her bed but she couldn't seem to choose which one to wear, the different colours and styles, they just didn't feel right. She ran her hands through her hair and took a deep breath, feeling a little stressed out. _Who knew choosing dresses could match the stress level of thinking of what to write for her thesis_. Caitlin rolled her eyes at how ridiculous it was for her to actually be stressed about a dress.

"Caitie just calm down okay. If you can't choose then we can just go buy a new one. Besides I need a new dress myself and you need a break from all of this on top of that!" Iris who was there to witness her get annoyed stood up from her seating position on her bed and tried to calm her down.

"You're right. Let's go!" Caitlin huffed and smiled her latest addition of her list of best friends. Iris always seemed to have such an enthusiastic atmosphere around here. She was very positive about anything and saw the bright side through mostly everything. Sometimes Caitlin wondered if it was in Iris' genes to be that happy all the time, maybe she'd learn a thing or two about staying positive.

The two ladies put their shoes back on also grabbing their respective coats and bags before leaving Caitlin's place. They drove to the mall, singing along to the songs on the radio. It was something they liked to do despite their lack of proper singing ability. When they arrived it was busy as usual, maybe a little more crowded because it was the weekend, meaning families would be going out to spend time with each other.

"So you want to go and get some coffee first. Actually we should get some coffee first! You need a break from clothes." Iris insisted, taking her hand and tugging her towards the nearest Jitters.

Just like any other branch of Jitters, the line was abysmal, consisting of impatient office workers, caffeine-hungry young adults and teenagers who would soon become these young adults. Despite this the wait didn't take too long with Iris keeping her company, talking about Barry in high school and how he was almost always late for everything but being such a nerd that the teachers didn't mind, knowing he'd get an A. All Caitlin could do was giggle at Barry's past. When they finally reached the counter they ordered two ham and cheese toasties; an item Iris told her was _"Godlike"_ and of course their favorite coffees. Seated at the table Iris continued to talk about Barry's past, how she set him up with his first girlfriend Dinah who was a cheerleader.

"He was like: Iris I told you I don't need your help with finding girls to date! I'm perfectly capable!" Iris deepened her voice to simulate Barry's. "Funny thing was every time he did ask a girl out I just watched him get shut down!" She laughed.

"What!? But Barry didn't look too bad in high school" Caitlin smiled looking at the picture on Iris' phone.

"Oh physically he didn't look bad. He looked great actually but his fashion sense, not so good" Iris mentioned swiping to the next photo of her album. Caitlin cringed at Barry's chose of clothing back in his time of adolescence, the tacky sweater, those worn out jeans, even she didn't wear stuff like that.

"But after a little makeover for his date, he looked like this." Iris once again swiped to the next photo revealing a more attractive Barry Allen, one who looked similar to the one today, evident from the dark jeans and the button up.

"So you're the reason Barry, has a sense of fashion now?" Caitlin giggled at the idea.

"Kinda but it was really his girlfriend that made him continue to dress decently. I'm also pretty sure that that Dinah was his "first time"." Iris smirked making air quotation marks with her fingers.

"First time?" Caitlin asked cluelessly.

"You know first time" Iris emphasized as she continued to smirk.

"Oh my god! How do you even know that!?" Caitlin gasps, covering her mouth with her hands, her eyes widened at the realization of what "first time" meant.

"I may have seen him sneak her into his house one night." Iris told Caitlin, bring her drink to her mouth.

"Wow and this was when he was he was in his Junior year?" Caitlin was surprised at Barry's "high school days" activities, she never imagined Barry to do such things.

"Oh no this was in Senior year. Barry had this super big crush on me through out high school and in our senior prom he told me about them. Of course I had to shut them down since I was with Eddie and I saw him as like my brother figure but I was happy that we were able to maintain this friendship." Iris explained to Caitlin and happily smiled at the fact that to this day Barry and her were still best friends.

"So Barry had his first girlfriend at senior year...huh..for a guy with a lot of charisma that's pretty weird." Caitlin commented. She actually did worse than him, her first boyfriend being Ronnie.

"Well charismatic Barry came after he was with Dinah, so I guess we can thank her for that!" Iris laughed before they finished their coffees and toasties. "Time for dress shopping!" Iris exclaimed excitedly as they exited the cafe, grabbing her arm and dragging her to the closest clothing boutique. _It's gonna be a long day,_ Caitlin rolled her eyes but wore a smile on her face, she has grown to love shopping with Iris.

 **\- Meanwhile -**

Barry had just finished his reports and was now out on a break. He found himself going to the mall to go to one of his favorite sandwich places. After doing those reports he felt that he could be rewarded with the fresh and savory flavors of a submarine-sandwich. Pushing the glass door and joining the line, he patiently waited for his turn at the counter. "Turkey, bacon, spicy cheese, lettuce and onions please" he told the young man behind the counter who proceeded to apply the fillings for his footlong roll of hearty Italian bread. Once he received his sandwich he made his way out of the restaurant only to knock into someone he used to hold dear.

"I'm sorry...Felicity?" He said as their eyes met for the first time in months. The last time he had seen her was at the fair when he went with Caitlin and Cisco. She of course still looked as good as ever, wearing an open beige trench coat revealing a light blue pencil dress.

"Barry, hey! Long time, no see." Felicity said awkwardly, in the presence of her ex-boyfriend for two years.

"Yeah, long time, no see. How's Oliver" He asked, making conversation.

"He's good...we're good...how about you?" She answered a little unsure with what she wanted to say.

"I'm great actually. You wanna take a seat, talk, catch up a little?" Barry found confidence in himself to ask her. He had moved on from Felicity months ago and now he just wanted to make things work as friends.

"Sure." She had a thin lipped smile as she and Barry took a seat at a table.

"So what are you doing in Central City?" Barry took a small bite from his sandwich unable to hold his appetite.

"I have to run an errand for Oliver." She answered simply still feeling a little awkward with the situation.

"Are you alright? Am I bothering you?" Barry asked after making a quick observation.

"Why would you ask?" Felicity said curiously.

"You're doing that crinkly thing with your eyebrows when something's up." He smiled. Felicity just laughed in response. "Being with someone for two years gives a person some pretty good observation skills." He added.

"No it's just the last time we met we couldn't even talk to each other. I felt a little awkward, stupidly thinking you haven't moved on yet." Felicity shook her head and began to smile. The weird unsure feeling inside of her disappearing.

"Well a lot of things have happened since then...a lot has changed...my feelings have changed." Barry said with reassuring smile.

"The first few months after our break up, the guilt was eating me away but Oliver helped me get through it." Felicity began to look back on the events after their fallout, a smile playing on her lips as she remembered Oliver.

"For me I was immersed in pain and sorrow, thinking I'd never get over between us but she was there for me, through it all. Caitlin." Barry told about his experience and the girl who aided him through those rough times.

"I guess we both found people to help us in our lives. People who we love and care about now." Felicity now with a cheeky smirk. "Your eyes they sparkle when you talk about someone you love. Something I learned about you. Yeah I have those observation skills too you know!" She pointed out smugly as he talked about Caitlin. "You know if you count in all the factors and put them together, we were perfectly perfect for each other." She said sincerely with a small smile.

"Yeah we would've been but you know what they say in science..." Barry began the sentence.

"Opposites attract, likes repel" They stated the law of attraction at the same time, producing laughter between them.

"Maybe it was always better this way. Friends." Barry told her when they calmed down.

"Maybe it was." Felicity replied.

"Thanks for breaking my heart." Barry jokingly with a smirk on his face.

"No problem! Thanks for making me feel guilty." She replied in a similar tone and smiled.

"I gotta run. Thank Oliver for the Gotham recommendation for me." Barry noticed the message on his phone from Joe.

"Will do! Goodbye Barry." She stood up as he did.

"Goodbye Felicity" They parted with a friendly hug. Felicity smiled as she watched Barry leave, a smile stretched on her face as he did. She was happy that he had found someone new, someone who deserved him and his love.

 **\- Caitlin and Iris -**

"How about this one?" Caitlin came out of the changing room wearing a sparkly silver dress. She spun around showing Iris how it fit her and how it looked. Iris had decided on her crimson dress earlier.

"Hmm too shiny and silver isn't the best on you." Iris gave her review as if she were some kind of critic. "What you need is something like...THIS! Oh my god this is PERFECT!" Iris picked out a backless blue dress out from the pile they had brought to the dressing room. Her eyes widened and glowed at her discovery.

"Isn't this a little too revealing?" Caitlin suddenly felt a little conservative.

"Caity girl, you wore a dress that came up to the half way point of your thighs, I think this will do just fine." Iris laughed before gently pushing her inside the cubicle.

"I kinda like this one." Caitlin once again revealed herself to her friend and repeating her spinning motion.

"Kinda like it!? It's perfect! I love it! Buy it!" Iris said enthusiastically, grabbing Caitlin by the shoulders and looked her in the eye.

"Okay." Caitlin responded calmly but a little shocked whether Iris convinced her or pressured her into buying the dress. Regardless she did think it was beautiful, blue may just be her color.

They exited the store after a good hour of trying out dresses for Caitlin and lets not forget the other one and a half hour that Iris added to look for her own. Recognizing they had spent too much time in the mall already, they decided that it was time to leave and relax before they got ready for the ball. As they closed in on the exit of the ginormous shopping centre, they were met by Felicity who similarly was on her way out.

"Felicity?" Caitlin called out to her friend.

"Oh my gosh Caitlin!? It's been so long!" Felicity approached her and hugged her. After Barry and Felicity's break up, the two girls continued their contact and friendship despite the awkward situation at the time. Felicity was her "science-nerd" girl friend while Iris was her "girly-girl" girl friend.

"Too long!" Caitlin smiled pulling away.

"Iris it's nice to finally see you! That is under different circumstances, as Barry's ex." Felicity greeted the pretty young woman who stood beside Caitlin with a hug as well.

"It's great to finally meet you! Barry told me a lot about you back then! This is becoming really awkward." Iris giggled at the fact she should've had this conversation with Felicity months ago.

"You are definitely right about that!" Felicity chuckled in response.

"What brings you to Central City?" Caitlin asked her the blonde IT expert.

"Well I was running an errand for Oliver. Needed to personally collect some files and deliveries for him." Felicity explained nonchalantly.

"How are you guys by the way?" Caitlin curious about her friend's relationship status which usually she never really does but Felicity was one of very few female friends who she felt comfortable with, recently Iris becoming one of those people

"We're great! So what are you girls up to right now" Felicity had the urge to hang out with the two before leaving for Star City (it had been renamed recently after the sudden death of renowned scientist Ray Palmer, who saved the city from an epidemic).

"We were heading out but I guess we could stop by at some place to eat if you're up to it?" Iris spoke and suggested that the three of them should hang out.

"I'd love to!" Felicity replied happily, only to receive a call from Oliver telling her that she needed to return immediately for an emergency board meeting at Queen Consolidated which required the delivery and files she picked up. "I'm so sorry guys! I gotta go! Maybe next time?" Felicity said goodbye to the two.

"Definitely next time." Caitlin told her as Felicity left. She immediately then received a text from her saying "I'm happy for you and Barry by the way! Okay, ciao!". Caitlin felt a smile form on her face as they followed after Felicity and back to Caitlin's apartment for a mani-pedi session and to get ready for the ball which was only a few hours away.

 _*7:00pm*_

"Uh where are they!? Edward Thawne and Bartholomew Henry Allen better have a good explanation for being late!" Iris paced up and down in her scarlet dress agitated, her phone to her ear for the third time.

"I'm sure they'll be here soon, probably caught in a little traffic." Caitlin told her to try to calm her down. As soon as she said that the doorbell rang and she opened the door, there in front of her were two handsome men dapper in their tuxedos; Barry in black and Eddie in white. "Gentlemen, please come in." Caitlin let the two into her apartment and closed the door behind them. Before the two could even get to the living room, Iris stopped them in their tracks, her hands on her hips, her eyes switching between them.

"Explain. Now." She spoke in a fierce tone. Barry and Eddie smiled nervously and told her that they had delays with the dry cleaner and then had problems with Eddie's car earlier which they were luckily able to fix. Caitlin all this time stood behind Iris trying to keep herself from laughing, smiling at Barry as he tried to explain.

"You two are excused, now bring us beautiful ladies to the ball!" She jokingly commanded them taking Eddie's arm.

"Shall we?" Barry held his arm out for his gorgeous date in blue, the charming "Barry Allen" smile on his face. Caitlin took hold of her purse and linked her arm with his, smiling sweetly back at him.

"We shall" They followed Eddie and Iris outside and got into their respective cars.

*Central City University Function Hall _*_

Barry and Eddie parked their cars side by side, before getting out and escorting their dates inside. Inside it was dim, but the place had a golden glow from the lights the CCPD had set up. Music came from the large speakers located on the stage of the function hall. The soothing sound of jazz played as the two couples found their table. The catering service immediately placing glasses of water for them to drink.

"They really out did themselves this year." Iris looked around at the decorations that adorned the venue.

"One of the officer's wives is an interior designer so she helped us out with all of this." Barry informed her pointing around.

"So since this is annual, Barry have you come to this every year?" Caitlin questioned her date.

"Yes I have, but on my own." Barry replied to her with a smile.

"Don't lie! What about Jessica!?" Iris mentioned his past date to the annual ball to tease him.

"Jessica was the girl your dad asked me to bring. Besides I owed him a favor that year." Barry explained himself.

"So what do you come here every year for?" Caitlin continued.

"Well I usually just help with the set ups. I've bartended once and I've also worked as the waiter." Barry told the curious geneticist about his past experiences with the ball.

"You never brought Felicity?" Caitlin asked one more question.

"Never had the time to. So technically you are my first actual date. If thats what you wanted to hear." Barry told her with a cheeky smile on his face.

"Well no but it is my honor." Caitlin giggled in reply.

They soon got some food and after participated in some games and activities that the CCPD planned. Barry and Caitlin pairing up as a duo and winning the musical chairs versus now former champions Eddie and Iris, and breezed through the quiz. After all the fun and games it got to that time of the night where all the staff got on the dance floor. Swaying and moving carelessly to whatever song the DJ played. Caitlin sat down as she waited for Barry to bring her a drink from the bar. Barry looked at the cluster of people dancing and got an idea. As soon as he received the drink he made his way to the DJ whispering in a song request, a song familiar to both of them. He went down to her handing her the drink and waited for her to finish.

"What are you standing there for?" Caitlin laughed lightly taking notice of how Barry stood beside her, a little jumpier than normal. Suddenly a song she had heard before began to play. _*Unexpectedly by Jason Chen starts playing*_ The familiar mix of pop and love genre entering her ears.

"This song...from the New Years Party?" Caitlin looked up at Barry who now held his hand out, her left eyebrow lifted.

"Care to dance?" Barry smiled at her with his sweet request.

"Gladly" she simply answered taking his hand to go to the dance floor, recognizing a few faces as they passed, to find their own spot; Iris with Eddie and Patty with an unknown dance partner. Placing her hands around Barry's neck and Barry's hands finding her waist, they began to sway to the song, smiling at each other as their eyes made contact with each other.

"You know this song isn't the best for slow dances right?" Caitlin pointed out.

"Yeah well we're slow dancing to it right now aren't we!?" Barry laughed. "Did I mention how beautiful you looked in that dress?"

"Nope" Caitlin giggled.

"Well you look truly amazing." Barry complemented her.

"Why thank you! You look very handsome." Caitlin repaid him with one of her own.

"Remember when I told you this song reminded me of someone?" Barry took a deep breath before he began.

"Yes, before we were interrupted by Jay." She joked, but then noticed Barry's serious expression.

"Caitlin that someone was you. Ever since Christmas I couldn't stop thinking about you. Seeing you with Jay during the New Years Party made me feel something I never felt for anyone before. I was jealous, frustrated with myself for being so blind. When I couldn't see you often was when I realized that I was really falling hard for you. I never expected to fall this hard for someone but you managed to do that. I never thought this could happen but now that it has, I can say that I fell in love with you so unexpectedly. I hope that wasn't too cheesy." Barry finished feeling a little embarrassed.

"No it was cute. You know what's funny?" Caitlin asked him.

"What?" He smiled at the gorgeous lady in front of him.

"That I could say the same about you with this song. From the moment we got to know each other that movie night, there was something about you that I couldn't stop thinking about. After days of trying to diagnose what was happening to me I realized that I had feeling for you. When Felicity arrived I felt jealous and it was so new to me, every time I saw you being sweet, I wanted to scream the pain away. Then you were with Patty and I began to believe that we just weren't meant to be so I dated Jay believing he could fill the void but ended up in pain. When you were gone I couldn't stop thinking of you and I don't think I ever will. I never knew anyone other than Ronnie could make me feel like this, let alone a guy I who I wanted to kill the first time we met. I too fell for you unexpectedly." She repeated Barry's final line, making him giggle a little.

"I guess we can both be cheesy" He joked before focusing his attention back to Caitlin's angelic face.

"I love you Caitlin Snow" He looked intensely into her eyes as they swayed. The feeling of relief coming over him after letting her know that indeed he was in love with her.

"I love you Barry Allen." She told him as their faces came close to each other, closing their eyes as they did. The moment was perfect...

Well could've been perfect for before their lips could touch Captain Singh got on stage and called for a toast and thanked all the staff for coming before concluding the event itself. Barry and Caitlin just laughed and shook their heads once again they had been cut off. Barry drove Caitlin back to her apartment, they didn't speak much inside the car, they just held hands and glanced lovingly at each other. He escorted her up the steps to her front door.

"When will I see you again?" Caitlin turned around to face him while holding his hands.

"Tomorrow probably. I'll come see you at your lab." Barry smiled at her. They continued to look at each other, unable to remove the grins from their faces, unable to let each other go. Then and there they experienced something they hadn't in a long while. The mysterious trance, the moment of silence of intensity that they felt before was present once again.

"You're not opening your door." Barry broke the silence.

"And your not letting go of my hands" Caitlin replied jokingly.

"I don't want to let go of you." Barry let the words unconsciously slip out of his mouth as he stepped forward, closer to her.

"I don't want this night to end." Caitlin told him, doing the same until a few inches separated them.

"I'll let you go but I want to give you something first." Barry offered a small deal.

"And what is that Mr. Allen?" Caitlin rolled her eyes as she smiled.

"Something I think that's been long over due." Barry told her as let go her hands, and moved his hands to her waist pulling her in closer to him. His head leaning to allow his lips to crash onto hers for the first time. Caitlin's hands found themselves on his chest, at first she was caught off guard but as soon as she realized it, she just closed her eyes as he did, and synched to his passionate kiss, taking the moment in. She had dreamt and imagined what their first kiss would be like but nothing compared to the real thing. This kiss, the sweet taste of each other's lips they both longed for, they now had. That moment they felt like nothing else mattered. It was them under the stars of Central City. They both pulled away their foreheads now against each other, smirks remaining on their faces.

"About time." Caitlin commented laughingly.

"Sorry I took so long" Barry replied with a giggle before they looked up at each other their lips making contact for a second time before saying goodnight and one last "I love you".

 _*One month later*_

It was that time of the month again, "Movie Night". Barry and Caitlin were lip-locked on Cisco's couch, Barry hands cupped her face as they made out with each other, an activity they had grown fond of ever since they got together. Cisco walked into the living room spotting the couple and rolling his eyes. _How many times do I have to tell them!?_ He sighed as he whistled to catch their attention.

"Hey lovebirds, look I love and support your affection towards each other but I thought we all agreed no sucking faces in Cisco's premises." Cisco informed them using hand gestures in frustration. Barry and Caitlin just smiled up at him, Barry's arm wrapped around Caitlin while her head lay on his chest. "So you won't even say anything?"

"We're sorry!" The new couple spoke in unison rolling their eyes and laughing.

"Apology accepted." Cisco forgave them and took the sofa beside them, giving the two some space. Bette who came back from the pizza parlor joined Cisco, meanwhile Barry brought Caitlin outside before the movie started.

"What are you doing?" Caitlin happily asked her boyfriend who had dragged her out to the balcony.

"Can you close you eyes and turn around? Please?" Barry asked her sweetly, Caitlin turning her back to Barry and shutting her eye lids.

"Oookaay. What is this? You're not proposing are you?" She joked. Ever since being with Barry she found herself making more jokes and smiling a lot more. She was happy, happy to be with him.

"No! Not that I wouldn't want to marry you it's just a little too early for that right now." Barry began to ramble, sounding a little like Felicity. He reached inside his pocket, pulling out the dark blue rectangular case and opening it, taking the necklace out. He unhooked the the tiny clasps and put it around Caitlin's neck and securing it.

"Okay open your eyes and look down at your neck." Barry said enthusiastically.

"The necklace..." Caitlin smiled as she reminisced the days when Barry as heartbroken and she had to fix it.

"Some one once told me to keep it for someone who deserves it. You deserve it Cait. Where ever you are, just call me and I'll be there for you." Barry told her taking hold of her hands.

"I know you will, you're always there for me. I love you." Caitlin looked up into his green eyes.

"I love you too." Barry smiled leaning down to kiss her. They pulled away once they heard Cisco's voice through the glass door to come inside for the movie. Hand in hand they reentered the living room taking their former positions on the couch, in each others arms. It had been a month but it was still so surreal for the both of them, that one day this cold and guarded geneticist and loving and carefree forensic scientist had met and had fallen in love so unexpectedly.

End of Chapter 23

FIN

 _ **A/N: I would like to thank every single one of you readers for going along with this story. I can't believe how far I've come with this! I remember writing my first fic back in August, testing the waters of being a writer and now here I am with a full completed story. Your reviews, favs and follows were a driving force to make want to write more and I loved the feeling seeing that "Review" email telling me how you guys enjoyed the chapter. It warmed my heart every time I read them. Hopefully you'll leave some for this chapter too! I don't know what else to say really, it's unbelievable that I was able to compile 23 whole chapters of writing. I always believed that I wasn't the best out there but every time I finished a chapter I felt satisfied and excited for y'all to read it. So once again thank you for being there for me all these months. Thank you for reading "Unexpectedly", I hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I did! With that I bid all of you farewell and maybe I'll see you all again in a different fic! Adios guys!**_


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